After wild chase, armed Midlands homeowner uses gun to thwart robbery

A Lugoff resident chased down a burglary suspect and held him at gunpoint until Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrived. The suspect, with a substantial criminal record, got stuck on a fence attempting to flee Saturday.

“The armed homeowner did a commendable job in catching this thief,” Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews said. “This is a good example of a lawfully armed citizen taking reasonable steps to protect his life and property.”

Nicholas Xavier Hull-Martinez, 21, of Camden, was arrested and charged with breaking into a motor vehicle, possession of burglary tools and possession of a firearm on school property, according to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred at about 5:15 p.m. on Wildwood Lane in Lugoff, according to the sheriff’s office. Hull-Martinez was walking away from the homeowner’s vehicle with two duffel bags and a rifle that belonged to the homeowner.

The homeowner challenged Hull-Martinez, who ran away with the stolen property, the sheriff’s office said.

Hull-Martinez attempted to jump over a fence at Lugoff-Elgin Middle School, but got hung up on the fence, according to the sheriff’s office, adding the homeowner caught up and pulled out his own pistol and held Hull-Martinez at gunpoint.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived shortly thereafter and took Hull-Martinez into custody, transporting him to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department.

Following a bond hearing Monday, Hull-Martinez remains in jail on a $60,000 bond, the sheriff’s office said.

According to the sheriff’s office, Hull-Martinez has previously been arrested on multiple counts of malicious injury to personal property, public disorderly conduct, simple possession of marijuana, burglary, grand larceny, possession of a firearm by certain persons unlawful and breaking into a motor vehicle.