Three In Custody After Stolen Vehicle/Break-In Incident

 In Local News

Three individuals were in custody Wednesday morning after an alert citizen observed criminal activity on Circle Drive in the Town of Prosperity and calling 911. Around 4:30 AM Wednesday morning, an alert citizen preparing to go to work observed a White Chevrolet truck on Circle Drive that was involved in a car break-in. The citizen called 911 and began following the vehicle at a safe distance giving information to responding Deputies. Newberry County Sheriff’s Office was providing coverage to the Town of Prosperity at the time of this early morning call and responded.

Deputies, with the assistance of the citizen, located the vehicle on Washington Street in the Town of Prosperity, turning onto Highway 391. The truck made a U-turn then back on Washington Street. When Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver turned off the headlights, in an attempt to elude Deputies. Deputies engaged their blue lights to stop the vehicle and the driver ran into the ditch. A suspect fled on foot allowing the vehicle to continuing rolling, finally coming to a stop. Deputies checked the vehicle and located two more subjects in the vehicle who were detained. Deputies searched for the third suspect in the area for about two hours using bloodhounds and additional off duty Deputies. Later in the morning Prosperity Police saw a person matching the description of the fleeing suspect, taking him into custody. The truck was discovered to have been stolen out of Irmo earlier Wednesday morning.

Investigators with the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office and Newberry City Police have been able to link the three subjects to multiple vehicle break-ins at Brookside Manor, Newberry and Circle Drive, Prosperity. Investigators are still working and canvassing the areas for information or surveillance video to assist with the prosecution of the subjects

Sheriff Foster states that this is a growing problem with subjects going into neighborhoods and entering unlocked vehicles searching for money, guns, or other items of value. Like this incident, subjects may find keys left in the vehicle giving the subjects the opportunity to steal the vehicle to use in other criminal activity. Sheriff Foster reminds citizens to remove keys and items of value from their vehicles and then lock unattended vehicles.

Sheriff Foster states that one of the subjects being detained is a 16-year-old and has been sent to the Department of Juvenile Justice until a hearing can be scheduled. The other two subjects are identified as Zion D’Andre Ritter (pictured at left), 18, of 713 Harbison Station Cir, Irmo SC and Jordan Marquez Jackson (pictured at right), 19, of 713 Harbison Station Cir, Irmo SC. The three subjects are being charged with Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and several counts of Breaking into Motor Vehicles. The two adults are being detained at Newberry County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.