Man accused in 2018 deadly crime spree has been extradited to Horry County

A North Carolina man who faces a slew of charges - including a murder charge in connection with a crime spree in 2018 - has been extradited to Horry County.

James Bellamy, 57, of Tabor City, was brought to J. Reuben Detention Center on Thursday, according to online booking records.

He is also charged with three counts of kidnapping, three counts of armed robbery and three counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

The charges are related to a murder and attempted robbery at a Longs Food Lion; a robbery at the Carolina Inn; and a robbery of a motorist who had broken down on Fox Bay Road on Aug. 15, 2018.

The spree began at about 10:30 p.m. at the Food Lion near Highway 9. There, officers found Gerard Celentano, 57, dead inside a white Chevrolet Cavalier, according to an incident report.

Around 11 p.m., officers were sent to a call about an armed robbery on Fox Bay Road.

The victim told police two men pulled up beside his parked vehicle and demanded his wallet and phone before pointing a gun at the him. When the victim refused, the assailants grabbed the items and fled, the report stated.

Police said when Bellamy was arrested on Aug. 22, 2018, in Fair Bluff, N.C., he had the victim’s driver’s license. The victim’s cell phone was last tracked in the area of another armed robbery involving Bellamy and two other men, according to the report.

At some point on the night of the spree, officers were also called to the Carolina Inn off U.S. 701 for a reported robbery.

An employee said two people entered, pointed a gun at him and demanded money. The suspects fled the hotel in a Nissan Altima, according to a police report.

Bellamy was convicted and sentenced in February for a separate robbery in 2018 in Columbus County, N.C., according to state offender information. He was released March 24, records state.

Bellamy was charged in Horry County in April 2018 with armed robbery, weapons violations, kidnapping and several other charges related to a 2016 incident. Those charges were all dropped in July of the same year.

This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 1:37 PM.