Police cars among vehicles broken into at 3 Columbia hotels

Police patrol cars were among the vehicles broken into at three Columbia hotels, the Columbia Police Department said Sunday.

Columbia officers are investigating “multiple” car break-ins that were reported at the Hilton Garden Inn on Columbiana Drive, the Fairfield Inn on Columbiana Drive and the Embassy Suites on Stoneridge Drive, spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said Sunday. Officers responded to those locations just before 8 a.m. Friday.

“At this time it appears that the vehicles, containing miscellaneous items, belonged to civilians and law enforcement agencies,” Timmons said. “The items stolen include law enforcement inventory such as weapons and ballistic vests. Those items have been recovered by the S.C. Highway Patrol. Charges against the suspects are pending.”

Additional details, including information on the suspects and the agencies that the police vehicles belonged to, were not immediately available Sunday afternoon.

The S.C. Sheriffs’ Association was hosting its Medal of Valor Award ceremony at the Embassy Suites Thursday night, according to a press release sent out Thursday by the association. It was not clear how many of the burglarized police vehicles were there for that ceremony.

Check back for updates.

This story was originally published January 28, 2018 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Police cars among vehicles broken into at 3 Columbia hotels."