Report: Myrtle Beach smoke shop robbery victims chased after armed suspects

Moments after being robbed at a local smoke shop, two victims chased the suspects before police arrested the accused, according to a police report.

Myrtle Beach police charged Kevon Demarcus Dunlop and Gabriel Jamirh Bracey, each with three counts of kidnapping and three counts of armed robbery. Bracey also faces a charge of being a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.

On Nov. 15, Bracey and Dunlop entered the Smoke Life Smoke and Vape Shop, 601 S. Kings Hwy. Bracey had a long gun and pointed it at three victims, according to the report. He demanded money from the cash register and for the victims to empty their pockets, police said.

Dunlop slid a backpack toward the victims and two of the three emptied their pockets, according to the report.

The suspects picked up the backpack and fled the scene in a blue Ford sedan, according to police. An unidentified third man drove the car.

Two of the victims followed and gave chase, but lost sight of the vehicle. Officers traced the car to the Aqua Beach Inn, 1301 Withers Dr. Both men tried fleeing out a balcony when SWAT team members entered the room, according to the arrest report.

According to Lt. Bryan Murphy the suspects climbed down an exterior balcony on the 5th floor and were captured in rooms on the floors below.

This story was originally published November 19, 2018 at 11:12 AM.