Police: Victim went out for cigarettes Christmas morning and was robbed at gunpoint

A 25-year-old man was arrested Christmas Day following an alleged armed robbery in the Myrtle Beach area.

James Andre Bingham is charged with armed robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle, and drug and weapon possession, jail records show.

Myrtle Beach officers were called 2 a.m. Sunday to a restaurant on the 200 block of North Kings Highway where a 27-year-old male victim reported the incident.

The victim told police he left his home on Third Avenue North and was walking west toward Kings Highway to buy cigarettes at a store when he was approached by Bingham and a female traveling in a sports utility vehicle, police said.

The victim said Bingham and his passenger asked him if he had any cigarettes. He told them no, and Bingham then invited him into their vehicle for cigarettes, authorities said.

Once the victim opened the rear passenger door, he said Bingham was pointing a .38 revolver at him and told him to empty his pockets, according to the police report.

The victim said he handed over approximately $65 cash, and Bingham then told him to get away from the vehicle before he fled the scene, police said.

While authorities were meeting with the victim, police said the suspects’ vehicle was discovered at the Wayfarer Motel on the 300 block of North Ocean Boulevard by city cameras.

Arriving officers ran the vehicle’s plate and information indicated it was registered to a different vehicle, officers said. Another officer ran the vehicle’s VIN and it came back stolen out of Myrtle Beach, and the proper tag for the vehicle was seen inside of it, police said.

A perimeter was set up outside the motel, and police began to discuss calling a SWAT to execute a warrant, the report states. However, before any decisions were made on serving the warrant, Bingham and the woman exited the motel room, police said.

They were detained without incident, and police said Bingham was in possession of a .38 revolver. Police did a sweep of the motel room and said they discovered marijuana inside.

The name of the woman detained was not available in the police report.

This story was originally published December 26, 2016 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Police: Victim went out for cigarettes Christmas morning and was robbed at gunpoint."