PCSO News Center

Media Release_2 Juveniles Charged in Damage to School Bus May 2019

05-08-19 

The Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating an incident that occurred this afternoon involving a school bus on Bridwell Rd. in Six Mile.

At approximately 3:55pm, the Sheriff’s Office was notified that damage had been sustained to one window on the side of a school bus as it was traveling on Bridwell Rd.

There were twenty-one students on board when the passengers heard the window being struck by unknown objects causing the glass to break.

The driver of the bus traveled a short distance in order to leave the immediate area at which time notification was made to the Sheriff’s Office. No injuries were sustained to any party on the bus.

Sheriff’s detectives arrived on the scene and observed the cracked glass to still be in the window frame but two small holes could be detected that are characteristic of damage created by a low velocity weapon such as a BB or Pellet gun.

The Sheriff’s Office is currently canvassing the area for anyone that might have heard the sound of any gunshots or may have seen anyone with any type of weapon.

Forensic detectives are processing the bus in an attempt to recover any evidence of what may have struck the window in order to verify if the weapon was a firearm or a BB/Pellet gun.

All passengers were transferred to another bus in order to allow the Sheriff’s Office to investigate.

There have not been any other previously reported incidents of this nature to the Sheriff’s Office and there are no suspect(s) at this stage of the investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone that may have seen or heard any suspicious activity in the area to please call the Sheriff’s Office at (864) 898-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC.

 

###

The Sheriff’s Office has received information that area residents have received phone calls from unknown individuals representing themselves as utility companies such as Duke Energy or Blue Ridge Electric.

The caller informs the homeowner that their monthly bill is overdue and that they face having their service turned off immediately if they do not provide funds over the phone through the use of “Green Dot Cards” or other types of prepaid cards.

These types of calls are not legitimate and should be treated as scam calls attempting to obtain money that is not connected to your utility service.

If you receive a suspicious call, ask for the representative’s name and discontinue the call. Locate the phone number to the utility service yourself and call the utility company to inform them of the suspicious person so they can verify that the call is valid or false.

Do not rely on a phone number displayed on Caller ID or one that is given to you by the suspicious caller. Information displayed on Caller ID can easily be manipulated.

As always, we remind everyone to refrain from providing debit card, credit card or personal information over the phone unless you know without any question that you are speaking with a credible person.

Steven Leroy Aiken

03-10-19 

At approximately 4:05pm this afternoon, an inmate serving a 128 day sentence for Family Court violations fled from the County Prison after climbing over a perimeter fence and fleeing on foot.

The inmate identified as Steven Leroy Aiken (45yoa) is a w/m approximately 5’11”, 143lbs with black hair.  He was wearing orange pants and a white colored shirt and last seen running towards Concord Church Rd.

The County Prison is located at 186 Prison Camp Rd in Pickens and typically houses inmates classified as minimum security. Several of the inmates serve on work crews providing inmate labor in various roles throughout the county.  Aiken was not assigned to a work crew.

Aiken has been incarcerated since early January of this year for the Family Court Bench Warrant for Failing to Pay Child Support as Ordered.  He has also been charged with Domestic Violence and Malicious Injury to Property.  He has not yet been to trial on those charges.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office has several deputies working on the investigation with multiple units canvassing the area in an attempt to locate Aiken.

Anyone that may have been in the area of Concord Church Rd and observed any unusual activity after 4:00pm today is asked to contact the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office at (864) 898-5500.

A mug shot has been attached to this Media Release.

###

Eric Silverio Mondragon

Media Release_ Second Arrest in Fatal Shooting of Juvenile January 2019

Jalen G’Vonte Hines

Media Release_ Arrest in Fatal Shooting of Juvenile January 2019

01-19-19 

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the SC Highway Patrol is conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a male victim found along Saluda Dam Rd in Pickens County.

At approximately 12:15pm today, the Sheriff’s Office received a report from a passing motorist of a suspicious person that appeared to be injured on the shoulder of Saluda Dam Rd near the intersection of Pistol Club Rd.

Deputies arrived on the scene in approximately eight minutes and located a male subject that was deceased just feet from the paved roadway. Deputies and Troopers from the SC Highway Patrol examined the scene and are currently unable to definitively determine whether the victim may have been struck by a motor vehicle or perhaps died from other causes.

An autopsy has been requested by the Pickens County Coroner’s Office which will be scheduled on a later date to determine the manner and cause of death.

Inquiries regarding the identity of the victim should be directed to the Pickens County Coroner’s Office.

Anyone that may have been in the area over the past 24hrs and noticed anything unusual or suspicious is asked to call the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office at (864) 898-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

###

Jordan Allen Mason

Media Release#1 Suspects Identified in Church Burglaries January 2019

01-04-19 

The investigation into the shooting of a husband and wife on McJunkin Dr. in Pickens thus far has produced information indicative of an attempted murder of the wife (73 yoa) followed by a self-inflicted gunshot to the husband (81 yoa).

Evidence from the autopsy conducted on the husband this afternoon has confirmed that the deceased sustained a single gunshot wound to the head from a small caliber weapon.

Additional evidence collected at the scene and from the husband’s body is consistent with the shot having been self-inflicted.

The wife remains hospitalized following overnight surgery to repair injuries sustained from having been shot one time in the upper torso. She is expected to survive with an extensive recovery period.

Interviews conducted with the victim by Sheriff’s detectives have provided information that is in corroboration with the evidence collected at the scene indicating that the wife was intentionally shot by the husband before turning the weapon on himself.

A .22 caliber revolver was recovered from the residence and is believed to be the weapon used to shoot both parties.

According to the wife, her husband became verbally agitated over a discussion involving her decision to stay with relatives for a few days at which time he informed her of his intent to take her life and commit suicide.

No information or evidence has been collected to indicate any criminal activity on the part of the wife throughout the investigation.

No record of any previous history of a law enforcement response to the residence involving domestic altercations is on file with this agency.

###

12-17-18  

Last week, the Sheriff’s Office received notification from the 13^th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office that the legal review of the investigation into the fatal shooting of an escaped inmate by a homeowner on December 4, 2018 had been completed.

Assistant Solicitor J. Baker Cleveland III stated… 

“It is the opinion of this office that (Name Redacted) would be immune from prosecution for any charges relating to the shooting death of Bruce McLaughlin pursuant to Title 16, Article 6 of the S.C. Code of Laws, the Protection of Persons and Property Act.

Her actions in this matter are a textbook example of what type of actions the Protection of Persons and Property Act seek to provide absolute criminal immunity for.” 

No criminal charges will be sought by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office against the homeowner in this incident.

###