Kershaw County homeless man arrested for copper thefts

A 48-year-old Kershaw County man who was living with his dog in his truck was arrested in connection with copper thefts on Christmas Eve, 2015.

Shawn Michael Bowers allegedly confessed to the theft when he was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon, Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews said in a news release.

The theft of copper tubing and radiators from two outside air conditioning units was reported to authorities December 24, 2015 by Cellular Connection on Highway 1 South in Lugoff.

Investigators were able to track the stolen materials to a local scrap yard. Through those sales and tips from the community they discovered where Bowers parked his truck near the Lake Wateree dam, Matthews said.

Bowers’ dog was turned over to animal control. Bowers was being held at the Kershaw County Detention Center Tuesday evening awaiting a bond hearing.

Bowers has a long list of crimes in his past ranging from petty larceny to drugs to DUI to murder, Matthews said.

Matthews said Bowers’ drug addiction led him to prey on “Kershaw County residents in order to survive.”

“This is a pretty sad story all around, but there are other ways to survive besides stealing,” Matthews said.