Cayce fire charged as attempted murder

Police have arrested a suspect in a recent attempted murder case in Cayce.

Robert Rome Green is charged with attempted murder and other related changes in an Aug. 20 house fire on Lexington Avenue in Cayce.

Upon arrival, officers found the back part of the home engulfed in flames and a female victim that was severely burned. She is being treated at an area hospital.

Green was previously charged with violating a no trespass order at the home of the victim in July of this year.

Car thief suspect arrested

West Columbia Police arrested a suspected car theft last Tuesday.

Aug. 20 at approximately 9:12 am officers received a call of a stolen vehicle from Lizard’s Thicket at 2234 Sunset Blvd. in Lexington.

An officer saw a vehicle matching the description at Riverbend Apartment Complex. A white male suspect exited the vehicle and began to run on foot. After a short time, the officer lost sight of the suspect.

At approximately 10:39 am the suspect was in a wooded area just off the 700 block of Sunset Blvd. Kenneth Ray Wooten, 42, of Swansea, was arrested and charged with grand larceny and breaking into a motor vehicle.

We would like to thank Lexington County Sheriff’s Office for the quick response of their K9 unit.

Attempted robber shot

A would-be thief was shot after he broke into a West Columbia home last week.

Michael Matthew Nowinski, 26, of Lexington, is charged with armed robbery, 3 counts of assault and battery, burglary, criminal conspiracy, 4 counts of kidnapping and possessing a weapon during a violent crime, according to arrest warrants.

“Based on interviews detectives have conducted during our investigation, Nowinski entered a Greenwood Drive home wearing a mask and armed with a shotgun,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said.

“He was there to steal a safe and struck 3 people with the butt of his shotgun before he was shot in the chest.”

Deputies located Nowinski a short distance from the house after the incident, according to Koon.

“He was treated for a gunshot wound immediately by deputies and then transported for further medical attention,” Koon said. “Deputies arrested him right after he was discharged from the hospital Sunday.”

Koon said Joel Adolphus Hendrix III drove Nowinski to the home on Greenwood Drive and conspired with Nowinski to commit the burglary and armed robbery. Deputies arrested Hendrix, a resident of Cassatt, last Thursday morning.

Hendrix, 26, is charged with armed robbery, 3 counts of assault and battery, burglary, criminal conspiracy, 4 counts of kidnapping, according to arrest warrants.

Nowinski and Hendrix are being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.

Former player charged with domestic violence

Tennessee cornerback and former Dutch Fork All-State all-purpose player Bryce Thompson was arrested Sunday on a domestic assault charge stemming from an argument with his girlfriend of 4 years.

Reports indicated the woman told police the argument began Saturday night after she found another woman’s fake eyelashes in Thompson’s room.

She said the argument began in Thompson’s dorm room, moved to a stairwell and continued for 10 to 20 minutes.

Witnesses allegedly told police they heard Thompson threatening to slap a woman. One witness claimed he heard Thompson yelling that he would “shoot up the school.”

Police say Thompson acknowledged arguing with the woman but denied making physical contact with her or issuing any threats.

The woman told police Thompson has a bad temper and had punched walls during previous arguments.

Thompson has been suspended indefinitely, The University of Tennessee announced Monday.

Irmo armed robber leads police chase

Police said an armed robber led them on a chase from Richland into Lexington counties before making an arrest back in Richland County Monday night.

Richland County Sheriff’s deputies said that before 10:30 pm a man robbed the Food Lion located at 11107 Broad River Road in Irmo.

Deputies used stop sticks on the vehicle in Eastover. The suspect ran but was located by a K-9 unit.

He was taken to Prisma Health Richland for unknown injuries.