Woman arrested by Richland County deputies who still seek man wanted in double murder
More than a week after two men were shot and killed outside a convenience store in Columbia, a woman was arrested for helping the accused gunman escape law enforcement, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.
On Monday, Bria Kierra Ruffin was charged with accessory after the fact to murder, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. The 26-year-old Columbia resident, who was arrested in Lexington County, helped James Jamar Toatley avoid sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement officers, according to the release.
Toatley is wanted on two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder for shooting into a vehicle with four passengers on Dec. 19, according to the release.
No bond has been set for Ruffin, who is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, jail records show. A search continues for Toatley, who is considered armed and dangerous, the sheriff’s department said.
Corey Smith, 41, and Curtis Dinkins, 37, died after being shot multiple times in the parking lot of the Motor City Market in north Columbia, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said.
Two other passengers — a man and a woman — were not injured by gunfire, according to the sheriff’s department.
The shooting happened at about 2:40 a.m. outside the 24-hour convenience store at 5601 Fairfield Road, about a mile from Interstate 20, the sheriff’s department said.
Before the shooting, Toatley argued with Smith and Dinkins inside the store, deputies said. Smith and Dinkins left the Motor City Market in an attempt to defuse the situation, and headed to a parked car already occupied by a man and woman, according to the sheriff’s department.
They were followed by Toatley, who began shooting at them before he ran away, the sheriff’s department said.
Smith died at the scene, while Dinkins died at an area hospital, Watts said after performing the autopsies.
Anyone who has seen Toatley, or has information about him, is warned not to approach him but is asked to immediately call 911, or report him to CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
If convicted on the felony accessory charge, Ruffin could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, according to South Carolina law.
Prior to the shooting, Toatley was out on a $90,000 surety bond after an Aug. 23 arrest on a second-degree domestic violence charge.
He was accused of assaulting his girlfriend who was pregnant with his child by kicking her in the stomach, grabbing her neck, and hitting her, according to an incident report from the sheriff’s department.
In 2006, Toatley was arrested on weapons crimes for the sale or delivery of a pistol, but the charges were disposed without being prosecuted in 2011, Richland County court records show.
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This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 1:29 PM.
