2 armed robbery suspects arrested

Lexington police arrested 2 armed robbery suspects late Mar. 9.

The arrests closed one lane of outbound traffic on US 378 by I-20.

All lanes were reopened shortly, police reported shortly before 5 pm Tuesday.

At approximately 3:40 pm Tuesday, officers were dispatched to an armed robbery in a business parking lot on the 5400 block of Sunset Boulevard.

The victim said that he had posted a new iPhone for sale online and had agreed to meet the suspects to sell it to them. The victim said that when they met, he handed the iPhone to the man who was a passenger in the vehicle.

While he held the iPhone, the suspect pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the victim telling him to back up. The suspects then quickly drove away from the scene.

Officers arrested Gabriel Brunson, Jr., 18, of Hopkins, and Sierra Fletcher, 31, of Columbia.

They were transported to the Lexington County Detention Center.

Man arrested for sex acts with dog

Lexington County deputies arrested a Columbia man Mar. 9, hours after receiving a link to a video that allegedly shows him engaged in a sex act with his dog.

Kevin Christopher Billups, 34, is charged with 8 counts of buggery and 8 counts of 3rd-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to arrest warrants.

“We received the 1st video associated with the dog in the form of an anonymous tip Tuesday morning,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “Investigators immediately got a search warrant for Billups’ home and found evidence linking his home with that video. We also found an external hard drive containing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.”

Detectives located and interviewed Billups Tuesday afternoon.

“The dog involved in this case has been relocated and is in the care of an animal rescue organization,” Koon said.

“This is still an active investigation. Our work on this case continues as part of the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.”

Lexington man faces child sex charges

Lexington County deputies have arrested a man accused in 2 cases of sexual contact with a minor.

Donald Sadler, 47, is charged with 1 count of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and 1 count of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, according to arrest warrants.

“We were called to investigate the December encounter that prompted the 1st-degree charge after a family member of the victim reported the incident to us,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in a statement Thursday. “As our work on that case progressed, we determined there was another victim and enough evidence for a 2nd charge on a 2nd victim.”

Both children are under the age of 10, according to Koon.

“Deputies arrested Sadler at his place of employment March 4,” Koon said. “He was then transported to the Lexington County Detention Center, where he is still being held.”

Koon said anyone with information about other potential incidents involving Sadler should contact Crimestoppers.

Passenger dies in collision

A 26-year-old West Columbia man died Friday after a collision last Thursday morning in Lexington County.

Phillip Auston Jones, 26, of West Columbia was pronounced dead at an area hospital on March 12 due to his injuries, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said.

He was a rear passenger in a vehicle collision March 11 shortly before 10 am at the intersection of Bethany Church and Boiling Springs roads.

The vehicle he was traveling in was headed west on Bethany Church Road when the driver disregarded a stop sign and collided with another vehicle in the intersection. The other vehicle had been traveling northbound on Boiling Springs Road.

Jones was not wearing a seat belt. The driver and another occupant of the vehicle he was in, as well as the driver of the other vehicle, were transported to area hospitals.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating.

3 teens arrested in robbery, assault

3 teens have been arrested and 1 is on the run after an armed robbery of an 82-year-old woman on Harbison Boulevard.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said it happened last week before a chase on I-20 into Lexington County.

According to police, the woman was approached by 4 young males wearing masks who offered to carry her items and she declined. Officials said 1 of the juveniles then hit her with a gun, pointed it at her and demanded her car keys.

They reportedly took the keys and drove away in her vehicle.

The vehicle later was spotted on I-20 by Richland County deputies who attempted to pull it over. Officials say the driver refused to stop and a pursuit led into Lexington County where the driver struck a concrete barrier near US 1.

Officers say 3 of the males were detained and 1 fled. The Lexington Police Department and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the search Mar. 8. As of late Tuesday afternoon the suspect is still at large.

The others were arrested and charged by RCSD.

The three 14-year-olds were charged with armed robbery, grand larceny and use of a weapon during a violent crime. 1 teen was also charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, failure to stop for blue lights and assault and battery.

They were taken to the juvenile wing of Alvin S Glenn Detention Center.