Arrest made following series of Midlands area convenience store and diner armed robberies

Local law enforcement agencies have charged one man in connection with a series of armed robberies at convenience stores and two Waffle House diners between March 23 and May 30. Other suspects are also being sought in connection with one or more of the robberies.

James Claudius Williams, 24, was charged with armed robbery, kidnapping and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime after customers and employees were robbed at gunpoint on March 23 at the Circle K Convenience store at 7919 Parkland Road in Richland County; on May 26 at the Kangaroo Convenience Store at 927 Elmwood Ave.; on May 27 at the Save Way Convenience store at 2000 Rosewood Drive, where a gun was fired during the robbery; on May 28 at the Waffle House at 7428 Garners Ferry Road; and, on May 30 at the Waffle House at 1210 Bluff Road.

Although no injuries were reported during any of these crimes, customers at the Garners Ferry Road Waffle House were made to lie on the floor while being held at gunpoint by two unidentified men and Williams, police said.

A second suspect in the Bluff Road Waffle House armed robbery, identified as Timothy Lamar Napoleon, 21, is still on the run and should be considered armed and dangerous, Columbia Police chief Skip Holbrook and Sheriff Leon Lott said in a news release.

Williams was being held Tuesday night at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

Anyone with information on any of these crimes is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC, text CRIMES (274637) and mark the beginning of the message with “TIPSC” followed by the tip information, or log onto www.midlandscrimestoppers.com and click on the red “Submit a tip” tab.

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Arrest made following series of Midlands area convenience store and diner armed robberies."