Police Blotter

The following is a synopsis of the activities of the Isle of Palms Police Department during the month of August 2008.

Patrol

8/2/08: At approximately 1:00 pm, officers were dispatched to Breach Inlet in reference to a missing person, who was last seen by the complainant and witnesses in the water an hour and a half earlier. The missing swimmer was positively identified by family members as their family member of Warrington, PA. A search and rescue mission (land and water) was conducted by both the Isle of Palms Police and Fire Departments. At approximately 2:23 pm, the victim was located face down in the surf in the area between 7 th and 8 th Avenue. After a rapid trauma assessment, first responders were unable to obtain baseline vitals and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The victim was transported to East Cooper Regional Medical Center where additional efforts were unsuccessful, at which time the victim was declared deceased. A follow-up investigation with the Charleston County Coroner’s Office confirmed the mechanism of death was drowning.

8/3/08: Officers responded to the area of the 800 block of Ocean Blvd. in reference to a report of a suspicious male subject who was observed in an attempt to coerce two juveniles (10 and 11 years old) to his vehicle. At approximately 7:53 pm, contact was made with the juveniles who stated that the unknown male subject stopped them as they were walking to the beach on 8th Ave. near Ocean Blvd., then told them that his vehicle was stuck in the sand and needed for them to help him. The juveniles described the suspect vehicle as white in color, low to the ground and possibly a Lexus. The juveniles further reported that they found it strange that the subject was persistent and kept approaching them for help when there were older and more able persons in the area who could assist with the vehicle. The vehicle also appeared to not be stuck. The subject continued approaching the same juveniles and attempted to corner them against a house, at which time the juveniles fled the area on foot and contacted the police. Officers searched the area with negative results.

8/5/08: On this date at approximately 1:53 pm, officers were dispatched to a Palm Boulevard business in reference to trespassing and multiple thefts. The complainant advised officers that a subject, identified by name, was continuously trespassing on boats at the docks and stealing various items. Further, the complainant stated that the subject has been known to steal boats and cruise the Intracoastal Waterway looking for additional boats with unsecured items on board. After conducting a stake-out, the subject was located, apprehended and charged with various larceny charges, to include Grand Larceny and Trespassing.

8/5/08: At approximately 12:00 pm, officers responded to an Ocean Boulevard residence in reference to the Theft of a Motor Vehicle. Upon arrival, Officers made contact with the complainant/victim who stated that he had met a black male and black female in downtown Charleston the evening before. Due to his (the complainant/victim’s) intoxicated state, he requested that they drive him, in his vehicle, to his residence on the Isle of Palms. According to the victim, all three ‘hung-out’ at his residence for several hours, consuming alcoholic beverages. After a couple of hours, the black female subject inquired if she could borrow his (the victim’s) vehicle to take the black male subject back to Charleston. The victim stated that she could with the understanding that she would return his vehicle within the hour. The black female subject never returned. The vehicle was entered into NCIC.

8/5/08: Officers were dispatched a second time to the same Ocean Boulevard residence at approximately 1:00 pm in reference to a possible suicide attempt in progress. Isle of Palms Police Telecommunications Officers advised that they had received a telephone call from Coastal Crisis Ministries advising receipt of a telephone call from a male subject who verbally acknowledged his intent to self-destruct by taking all of his prescribed medications. Officers made contact with the subject, who was the victim in the aforementioned Theft of Motor Vehicle case. The subject had a strong smell of alcoholic beverage about his person, had bloodshot, glassy eyes and displayed attributes of psychomotor or motor-mental retardation. The subject admitted that he had called Coastal Crisis and disclosed that he thought he should take all of his freshly filled prescriptions; five different prescriptions total. However, according to the subject, “I didn’t really mean it.” The subject voluntarily agreed to be transported to East Cooper Regional Medical Center by Charleston County EMS for a psychiatric evaluation.

8/7/08: At approximately 9:41 am, officers were dispatched to an Ocean Boulevard residence to investigate a complaint of Disorderly Conduct. Upon arrival, officers observed two white female subjects standing on the second floor back deck of the residence. Both females were completely unclothed. There was heavy pedestrian beach traffic and small children playing in a neighboring backyard. Officers called to the females and directed them to clothe themselves and respond downstairs to meet with officers. After several minutes, the females failed to respond to meet with officers. Contact was eventually made with the homeowner of the residence, who alleged that he was sleeping and did not know where the females were, and had met both females the night before. Officers made entry into the residence and after securing two firearms, conducted a search of the residence, eventually locating the female subjects hiding in the attic behind insulation. While attempting to place handcuffs on one of the subjects, she resisted arrest. Both females were placed under arrest and charged with Indecent Exposure and Hindering a Police Investigation. The resisting female subject was additionally charged with Resisting Arrest.

8/7/08: Officers were dispatched to the beach at the Charleston County Park in reference to a theft in progress. Upon arrival, officers received a description of the perpetrators, who had taken the victims’ purse from the beach and fled the scene on foot. Additional officers were dispatched to search the area. While speaking with the victim, the victim contacted the issuing banks of her credit cards. She was advised that her credit cards had been used at several local businesses. Subsequently, Investigators and officers responded to the area of the businesses where they located and positively identified the perpetrators. Both subjects were placed under arrest. Upon interrogation of both subjects, it was learned that both had committed multiple larcenies, as well as several breaking and entering into motor vehicles on the Isle of Palms. Both subjects were charged with Breaking and Entering Into Motor Vehicle, Grand Larceny and multiple Petit Larcenies. The male subject has been implicated in multiple narcotics investigations being conducted by the Isle of Palms and Mount Pleasant Police Departments.

8/8/08: At approximately 9:00 pm, officers were dispatched to Ocean and Pavilion Boulevard in response to a complaint of a hit and run and road rage. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the victim who stated that a male subject, occupying a brown Cadillac bearing a South Carolina license plate, hit her vehicle and began yelling profanity at her for allegedly blocking the roadway. The suspect vehicle was located and a traffic stop was conducted upon the same. After identifying the suspect, the victim advised that she did not wish to pursue charges.

8/9/08: A victim reported that she left her rental condominium at approximately 10:30 am to go to the pool. Upon returning around 5:00 pm, she discovered several items of jewelry, which she had left on top a dresser, missing. The case was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division. Suspects are being interviewed at this time.

8/10/08: Officers were dispatched to Carolina Boulevard in reference to suspicious circumstances. Complainant advised that there were several people staying at the residence without consent or authorization from the homeowner. Contact was made with the out-of-town homeowner, who confirmed that no one should be at his secondary residence. Upon arrival, officers discovered several open doors leading into the residence. After tactically clearing the residence and finding no one inside, officers re-contacted the homeowner and advised that the house was found in disarray. The homeowner requested that officers secure the residence upon departure and that he would conduct an inventory of the residence when he arrived in town.

8/10/08: Officers responded to a Front Beach restaurant at approximately 9:20 pm in reference to a disturbance in progress. Upon arrival, officers made contact with employees, as well as patrons of the establishment, who advised that a white male subject was causing a disturbance inside the business. Further, the subject was highly intoxicated and refusing to leave the establishment. The subject was located and placed under arrest for Public Intoxication and subsequently transported to the Charleston County Detention Center.

8/13/08: A female victim reported that the employee of a moving company that she had contracted to move her belongings had stolen two checks from her residence. The case was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division. The suspect was located, arrested for forging the checks in Berkeley County, and was extradited by Isle of Palms Police on a warrant for theft.

8/16/08: Officers responded to a local establishment where a male subject reported the theft of his debit card and identification, possibly by a female associate of his. Officers spoke with the female suspect, who was observed to be grossly intoxicated. The suspect denied having any knowledge of the theft or having the bank cards in her possession. However, after being placed under arrest for public intoxication, a search of her person produced the stolen cards, which were located in her pants pocket. During the arrest, the subject actively resisted police. She was, subsequently, transported to the Charleston County Detention Center where she was lodged on all charges, including Resisting Arrest, Public Intoxication and Financial Transaction Card Theft.

8/20/08: A female guest of a local inn reported the theft of a platinum/diamond ring from her suite. Investigators are still pursuing leads in the case.

8/22/08: Officers responded to a residence where a female stated her vehicle had been stolen by a male neighbor. The responding officer obtained critical information and provided the same to Telecommunications for distribution in the form of a BOLO. While the responding officer was obtaining additional information, a Sullivan’s Island Police Officer located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, with the final stop being in the drive of the suspects’ Isle of Palms residence. The subject was placed under arrest and charged with Grand Larceny of a Motor Vehicle.

8/23/08: A concerned citizen notified police of a possible intoxicated driver in the area of Palm Boulevard near 8 th Ave. The responding officer located the vehicle and began to track its progress using an in-car video camera. The officer observed the vehicle weave within its own lane of travel, travel across double-yellow center and leave the roadway on several occasions. As the driver turned onto the Connector, the officer conducted a traffic stop upon the vehicle. Upon making contact with the driver, the officer detected a strong smell of an alcoholic beverage emitting from within the vehicle, as well as the driver’s person. Due to the belief the subject was under the influence of alcohol, the officer requested that the driver step out of the vehicle to provide the subject with the opportunity to submit to Field Sobriety Tests (FST). The subject refused to exit the vehicle and to submit to FSTs. Further, the subject actively refused to cooperate while being placed under arrest. After being detained, the subject was transported to the Isle of Palms Police Department and was allowed the opportunity to provide a breath sample, via Data Master, which he refused. The subject was subsequently charged with Driving Under the Influence, Driving Under Suspension, as well as Hindering Police. During his transport to the detention facility, the subject repeatedly spit in the vehicle and utilized the transport screen to tear and remove spit-hoods. The subject was additionally charged with Malicious Injury to City Property.

8/30/08: At approximately 1:00 am, officers responded to a local villa in reference to a complaint of suspicious activity/suspicious person. The complainant advised officers that an unknown male subject was knocking on his front door and refusing to leave. Officers located the white male subject and immediately detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his person. The male was unable to tell officers where he was staying and displayed the inability to care for himself. He was arrested and charged with Public Intoxication.

8/30/08: Officers responded to a residence for the report of a fight in progress. Upon their arrival, they located the female victim, who had sustained superficial lacerations to her head and a facial injury, and which had been inflicted upon her by her daughter. Upon interview/interrogation of the suspect, officers determined that the subject possessed suicidal tendencies. The subject voluntarily agreed to be transported to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

8/31/08: An officer stopped a vehicle for traffic violation and, while speaking with the driver, immediately detected signs of intoxication; a strong smell of alcoholic beverage about his person, red, blood-shot, glassy eyes. The male driver refused to submit to Field Sobriety Tests or a breath test and was subsequently arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

8/31/08: Officers responded to a local restaurant in reference to harassment. Officers were advised that two male subjects (employees of the establishment) had a physical altercation, with one shoving the other into a wall. The manager attempted to intervene, with the aggressor attempting to push him aside while screaming anti-homosexual epitaphs at the victim. After eventually being separated, the assailant continued to yell at the victim, threaten him, and putting the victim in fear for his safety. The victim was advised on the procedure for securing a warrant for his attacker’s arrest, since he (victim) did not wish to pursue charges at the time.

Personnel/Community Relations

8/9/08: Sgt. Ryan was requested by the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office to play the bagpipes at the memorial service in Walterboro for Deputy Dennie Compton, who was killed in the line of duty while answering a call in Walterboro.

8/31/08: For the month of August, officers on patrol discovered seven businesses and four homes with open or unsecured doors. A total of 169 Victim of Crime Forms were issued to business or property owners for various violations noted or to advise that an officer checked their business during the night while on patrol.