Local Radar

Neighbor holds burglar at "broom point" for police
web posted January 13, 2006

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JOHNSTON – As EdgefieldDaily.com reported yesterday, a neighbor helped police locate and arrest a suspected burglar shortly after 7:00 pm on Wednesday evening. While Sheriff’s Investigator Randy Doran and Johnston Police Officer Lamaz Robinson were assisting Edgefield County Sheriff’s Narcotics Investigator Roosevelt Young serving several arrest warrants for drug trafficking a call came into 911 Dispatchers of a burglary in progress.

Before officers could arrive, another call came in stating the suspect took off running behind the Amoco Station and was being chased by a bystander. Officers swarmed the area and within three minutes of the last call had the subject in custody. It turned out the man chasing the suspect was a neighbor across the street from the home that was burglarized.

The homeowner’s daughter arrived at the home, noticed the side door kicked open, and lights on in the house. When she announced herself and yelled into the home, “Is anybody here,” a man appeared from a back bedroom and ran to the front door. When he tried to run out the door he, “smashed into the door and put a big dent in the door,” Investigator Doran said. Being unable to get out of the house the man ran out the door the woman was standing in.

At that time the woman called to the neighbor across the street for help and he came running after the man with a broom and chased him to the Amoco Station on Addison Street. At that time he told employees at the store to call police. The suspect again took off and ran towards the Hardee’s on Lee Street with the neighbor, broom in hand, in hot pursuit.

Police began to swarm the area and located the neighbor who had the suspect cornered near Bland Funeral Home. Officers arrived and placed the man into custody. On his person they found assorted jewelry he had taken from the home. Though original descriptions of the man stated he was possibly a Hispanic male it turned out to be a black male, one Jeffery Byers, 47, of Slide Hill Road in Johnston. He was arrested and booked on charges of Burglary in the First Degree records show.

Investigator Doran said he was familiar with Mr. Byers, as he had arrested him on a previous crime a few years earlier and that Mr. Byers was no stranger to the judicial system having been convicted of assorted crimes, including burglary, over the past several years.

Byers is being held in the Edgefield County Detention Center awaiting a court hearing by a Circuit Court Judge. “The local Magistrate can’t hold a bond hearing on the felony burglary charge,” Investigator Doran said. No court date has been set for Mr. Byers at this time. Investigator Doran said the neighbor played a big role in apprehending Byers, “He made it a lot easier, we wish more would turn out to end that quick,” Lt. Doran said.   

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