Teenager arrested after bloody man found on Midlands road died, SC sheriff says
A South Carolina teenager was arrested on multiple charges after the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office said he fatally shot a man, stole his car and later set it on fire.
An investigation began after a bloody man was found walking on a Midlands road early Sunday morning and later died, according to the sheriff’s office.
The man was identified as Jamal Jermaine Alston, according to Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece. The 24-year-old Fairfield County resident was shot and killed, Kneece said.
Late Monday night, Blaize Pedro Plaza was taken into custody, according to the sheriff’s office. The 19-year-old Whitmire resident was charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and grand larceny (value $10,000 or more), jail records show.
Plaza and Alston met through a social networking website, and sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, Alston drove to a residence on S.C. 66 to pick up Plaza and an unidentified female, the sheriff’s office said. Information about the website, and the reason they met in person, was not available.
After a short drive, Plaza asked Alston to pull over near the Newberry and Laurens county line so he could “perform a biological function,” and when Plaza returned to the car, the doors were initially locked, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said when Alston unlocked the doors, Blaze began firing into the car, striking Alston several times.
Alston was able to exit the vehicle and run into the woods with Plaza chasing him, and continuing to fire the gun, the sheriff’s office said.
Plaza and the female then took Alston’s vehicle and drove to Eaves Road in Union county, where he burned the vehicle to destroy any evidence, according to the sheriff’s office.
Alston was discovered after a 911 call was made at 4 a.m. about the blood-covered man spotted on S.C. 66, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies from the Newberry and Laurens counties responded to the call and found Alston, according to the sheriff’s office. Conscious at the time, Alston was taken to an area trauma center before he died, the sheriff’s office said.
No other injuries were reported.
Plaza was denied bond on all charges and remains behind bars at the Newberry County Detention Center, jail records show.
There was no word if the female with Plaza was identified by law enforcement officers, or if she will face any criminal charges, but the incident continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s office, the coroner’s office, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
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This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 7:53 AM.
