Teen arrested after planning his own kidnapping, Lexington County sheriff says
A teenager, who family and law enforcement believed was kidnapped at gun point, was arrested after investigators determined it was all a hoax, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
Sema’j Corvin Gardner, 17, was charged with six counts of kidnapping, six counts of first-degree assault and battery, conspiracy, pointing and presenting a weapon first-degree burglary, according to a news release.
The charges stem from an incident on Sunday, where Gardner was seen being forced from his home in the 900 block of Hendrix Street by two armed men. During the incident, the armed males assaulted and threatened to kill several of Gardner’s family members, ranging in age from 12 to 61-years-old, the release said.
Investigators began immediately searching for Gardner and found the 17-year-old Monday evening, the release said.
An investigation by the sheriff’s department, assisted by the FBI in Columbia, determined Gardner conspired with the two males in planning his own kidnapping from his home, according to the release.
A 16-year-old, who was also determined to have been involved in the false kidnapping, was charged with six counts of kidnapping, six counts of first-degree assault and battery, conspiracy, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, pointing and presenting a weapon and first-degree burglary, the release said.
The juvenile was booked into the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and is awaiting a bond court hearing, according to the release.
Gardner, while 17-years-old, was charged as an adult and booked into the Lexington County Detention Center, the release said.
Deputies are continuing to search for one other male involved the scheme. Anyone with information are encouraged to contact Lexington County Sheriff Detective Corporal Kenneth Heath at (803) 358-1557 or by email. Tipsters can also submit information via CrimeStoppers.
