DNA helps nab ‘serial cigarette bandit’ who burglarized Columbia store repeatedly, cops say

A man charged with the recent burglary of a Dollar General store from which cigarettes were stolen was arrested with help from DNA taken after his arrest eight years ago for stealing cigarettes from the same store, according to authorities.

Ronnie Gilmore, 59, broke into the Dollar General on the 100 block of William Hardin Road multiple times between Oct. 4 and Nov. 21, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday in announcing Gilmore’s arrest. HE also broke into the Quick Stop on the 9100 block of Farrow Road, deputies said.

Gilmore was arrested for burglarizing the same Dollar General store in 2010, the sheriff’s department said. In that burglary he also stole cigarettes.

After Gilmore’s arrest in 2010, his DNA was entered into the county’s combined offender DNA index system, officials said. DNA was collected from the store on Nov. 1 after someone broke into the store and stole cigarettes.

The DNA evidence was run through the county’s index system and returned a match for Gilmore, deputies said. Gilmore faces four counts of burglary, four counts of larceny and four counts of malicious injury to property.

This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 10:23 AM.