Woman, 60, confronts, chases robbers in Forest Acres. Police charge teens in crime spree
Three teenagers were arrested Monday after a crime spree that included a shooting, vehicle break-ins, a car chase, and a chase on foot through Columbia, the Forest Acres Police Department said.
David Anderson, 18, Sabian Bryant, 18, and Jeremiah Jenkins, 17, were each charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of vehicle break-ins, police said in a news release. Jenkins was charged as an adult, according to the release.
No bond has been set for Anderson and Bryant, who were both also charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, discharging firearms into a dwelling, sale/delivery of a stolen pistol, and armed robbery with a deadly weapon, jail records show.
There was no word if Jenkins also faces the additional charges, but all three are being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the release.
The incident began at about 3 a.m. when a 60-year-old woman was awoken by an alarm at the Arborwood Condos, police said. That’s off Percival Road, near the junction of Forest Drive and Interstate 77.
She told police that the three teenagers were trying to break into her vehicle, and she went outside to confront them, prompting Anderson, Bryant and Jenkins to run away. The woman said she chased after the three, who then began firing shots, according to the release.
The woman was not hurt and no injuries were reported in the shooting, but 11 shell casings were recovered by police, with at least one bullet hitting the exterior of the condo complex, according to the release.
“We do want to caution all of our citizens to not engage with suspects during the commission of a crime. We are fortunate this citizen escaped unharmed this time,” Police Chief Don Robinson said in the release.
The woman called police, who said officers processed the scene and began searching for the teens. The manhunt shifted to the City of Columbia, where it’s believed Anderson, Bryant and Jenkins were breaking into vehicles off Shop Road, according to the release.
Officers with the Columbia Police Department began chasing the teenagers, who drove away in a Honda Accord, according to the release.
The teenagers crashed the car near the railroad tracks at South Assembly and Dreyfuss Road and tried to run away, Forest Acres police said.
With the help of a K-9 officer from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Anderson, Bryant and Jenkins were tracked down and arrested in the area near the crash, according to the release.
One of the teens was bitten by the police dog during the incident, Forest Acres police said. Information on which teen and his medical condition were not available.
All three teens were brought to the Forest Acres Police Department for questioning and were subsequently charged, according to the release. The teens could face more charges from both the Forest Acres Police Department and Columbia Police Department.
“Anyone brazen enough to fire a gun at an innocent citizen inside a crowded condominium complex is not someone we want on our streets,” Robinson said. “I’m proud of the investigative efforts by our officers, and the collaborative efforts with the Columbia Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to see this crime spree brought to a close.”
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This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 9:18 AM.
