Sumter County armed robbery suspects caught in Clarendon

Clarendon County authorities have arrested two men men suspected of multiple armed robberies in Sumter County.

Both the Sumter County Police Department and Sumter County Sheriff’s Office are expected to charge Darius Deonte Cummings, 22, of Charleston and Deshaun Forrest, 25, of North Charleston for incidents that occurred over the past week, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesman Braden Bunch. Those incidents include armed robberies of individuals at various motels in both the city and county of Sumter.

Cummings and Forrest were arrested by Clarendon County authorities Thursday afternoon during an apparent armed robbery attempt in Summerton, Bunch said.

Investigations by both agencies are continuing, and more charges are possible, Bunch said.

Cummings will be charged with two counts of first degree kidnapping and burglary and one count of armed robbery by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Bunch said. Sumter police are charging both Cummings and Forrest with two counts armed robbery, two counts possession of a weapon during a violent crime, two counts of first degree assault and battery and conspiracy.

Cummings will be also charged by Sumter police in connection to a shooting in which a woman was shot as a man tried to rob her Wednesday morning on Washington Street, Bunch said. He faces charges of attempted murder, attempted armed robbery, first degree assault and battery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

The 43-year-old victim suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body and is expected to recover, Bunch said.

Both men are being held at the Clarendon County Correctional Center, and face charges in Clarendon County.

Sumter County deputies were looking for two suspects wanted in connection with an armed robbery at a Broad Street motel early Wednesday morning.

A man staying at a motel in the 4200 block of Broad Street told deputies he was approached by two men around 5:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, Bunch said. One of the two men, who was armed with a small automatic firearm, ordered the man back into his room.

The suspects allegedly ordered the man to get on his knees, Bunch said. The suspects struck the man in the back of the head with the gun and then robbed his room.

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Sumter County armed robbery suspects caught in Clarendon."