Off-duty officer and wife carjacked at rest area in the Midlands, sheriff says
A search is underway after a man carjacked an off-duty law enforcement officer and his wife on a highway running through the Midlands, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday.
The sheriff’s office said it is looking for a man who it called a person of interest.
The incident happened at about 8 p.m. Saturday at a rest area near the 154 mile marker on Interstate 26, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. That’s near Exit 154, which is the junction with U.S. 301/Five Chop Road.
In addition to stealing a 2012 Jeep Cherokee, the accused carjacker also drove off with the officer’s department-issued weapon, according to the release. The officer works for a law enforcement agency outside of Orangeburg County, the sheriff’s office said.
The officer stopped at the rest area, where the vehicle was taken by a man holding a gun, according to the release.
No injuries were reported by the sheriff’s office.
The officer told deputies both Clemson and University of South Carolina stickers are on the rear window of the blue SUV.
The sheriff’s office described the person of interest as a 5-foot-7, 190-pound man in his 20s or 30s with dark hair.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-534-3550, or report it to CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
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This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 9:57 AM.
