Conway man who cut ankle monitor, fled trial sentenced for attempted burglary
A Conway man was sentenced to 20 years in prison more than a year after stepping outside for a cigarette, cutting his ankle monitor and fleeing his attempted burglary trial.
Devin Lavar Outen, 37, was sentenced Tuesday more than a year after his trial, according to George DeBusk, senior assistant solicitor, who prosecuted the case for the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Outen was convicted of of attempting to burglarize a 71-year-old woman’s home in 2018
In February 2020, he was convicted of attempted burglary despite his absence from the two-day trial.
The attempted burglary happened July 6, 2018 on Green Leaf Drive, off of South Carolina Highway 544 in the Conway area, according to a news release from the solicitor’s office.
Outen, who was out of jail on bond, did not return to court for his trial and sentencing, so a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, according to the news release. Earlier this week, Outen was returned to Horry County to face sentencing.
The day of the attempted burglary
The woman called police about 3:45 a.m. and said a man had used a tire iron to force open her back door.
She grabbed her gun and ran out into the front yard. Her dog ran toward the back of the home, where Outen was, and he ran toward the woman with his arms outstretched toward her.
She fired two gunshots at Outen, hitting him once in the stomach.
Outen then got into a car and tried to drive away but hit a ditch. He left the car and ran into the woods.
Horry County police found Outen nearby along South Carolina Highway 544 near the Dollar General store and took him into custody.
Police took him to a local hospital to treat his gunshot wound.
Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson told The Sun News in 2018 that jury selection had begun when Outen asked his lawyer if he could smoke a cigarette. Outen then cut off his ankle monitor and ran off, Richardson said. The judge allowed the case to move forward without the suspect present.
“It doesn’t happen often,” Richardson said of someone running off on the eve of trial in 2018.
This story was originally published October 19, 2021 at 5:26 PM.
