5 jailed in Kershaw County car break-ins

Five men were arrested Wednesday in connection with a rash of car break-ins and thefts in Elgin.

Charged were Thesius Devore Holloman, 19, of Deerfield Lane in Bishopville; Gareece Montrez Hopkins, 21, of James Street in Bishopville; Shiead Tyshonn Jackson, 19, of Linda Lane in Bishopville; Drell Dorian Miller, 20, of Sessions Road in Elgin; and Juwan Tepree Robinson, 23, of Royer Road in Bishopville.

The arrests came after a resident on Highway Church Road in Elgin called law enforcement about a man in dark clothing running between houses, according to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. The caller saw a man get into a white sedan occupied by several other men.

Officers began riding through neighborhoods looking for the white sedan, officials said. A deputy saw a man in dark clothing at a gas station, pumping gas into a white Chrysler 200. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the car, which was occupied by five men, all in dark clothing.

While officers talked with the driver, Robinson, they saw one man in the back seat trying to hide something, the Sheriff’s Office said. A deputy saw a handgun on the floorboard, at which point all five men were removed from the car.

Four handguns were found in the car, and each man had gloves and a flashlight, deputies said. Inside the car, officers found several GPS devices, debit cards and other miscellaneous items that had been stolen from cars in the Elgin area.

Using the “go home” feature on the GPS devices, deputies were able to go to the homes where the break-ins occurred and notify the owners, some of whom weren’t aware they had been victimized, Sheriff Jim Matthews said. It wasn’t clear how many vehicles had been broken into, but Matthews said the investigation is continuing.

This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 9:59 AM with the headline "5 jailed in Kershaw County car break-ins."