news in brief

Wreck snarls Lexington traffic

Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green reports Coleman F. Terrapin, 24, of Lexington, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence, 1st Offense, following an early morning collision June 26 that disabled traffic control devices in the intersection of West Main Street and Gibson Road.

At approximately 1:40 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of West Main Street in reference to a single vehicle collision with injuries. Witnesses stated they observed a red Toyota traveling inbound on US 378 toward West Main Street. The vehicle struck a raised median on the left side of the roadway and continued into the opposite lane of travel. The vehicle then struck an additional raised median and continued straight, striking the traffic control device.

Upon arrival, contact was made with the driver and he was identified as Coleman F. Terrapin. Standardized field sobriety tests were administered and medical attention was received for minor injuries.

Officers spent the majority of the morning detouring motorists around the intersection of West Main Street and Gibson Road to allow personnel to replace the traffic control device. Roads closures occur at the peak of morning rush hour traffic. The roads were reopened at approximately 10:45 a.m. June 26.

Terrapin was transported to the Lexington County Detention Center where he was given a Personal Recognizance bond.

Lexington man arrested for child porn

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Daniel Wayne Lindler, 39, of Lexington, on 13 charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Attorney General’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Secret Service, and United States Probation, all also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the execution of the search warrant and arrest.

Investigators state Lindler distributed and possessed files of child pornography.

Lindler was arrested on June 26. He is charged with 3 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count; and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.

Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

W. Cola police arrest 3 in copper thefts

The West Columbia Police Department has made 3 arrests in the ongoing investigation of numerous copper thefts in the city.

Between May 2 and June 25, residents and business owners experienced the theft of copper and damage to air conditioning units at approximately 20 different locations throughout the city. The total amount of damage and loss was in excess of $120,000.

Investigators have arrested Joshua Lamar Taylor, 35, of Columbia, Jennifer Kay Bairefoot, 40, of Lexington and David Michael Adair, 54, of Lexington. They were charged with numerous felonies to include the following: Grand Larceny, Malicious Injury to Personal Property more than $2,000, Breaking into Motor Vehicles, Criminal Conspiracy and Unlawfully Obtaining Nonferrous Metals. In all the trio were served with 80 arrest warrants.

All suspects are being held at the Lexington County Detention Center.

2 charged after stolen truck spotted

Lexington County deputies arrested a man and a woman June 26 in connection to drug paraphernalia and a gun found in a truck reported stolen.

Amber Michelle Clay Hoffman, 25, is charged with trafficking meth and possessing a weapon during a violent crime, according to arrest warrants. Another warrant states Robert Lonnie Williams, 34, is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.

“A deputy confirmed the truck was reported stolen out of Richland County after watching it pull into a parking space at a convenience store on Edmund Highway,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Williams ran away from the truck right after the deputy turned on his blue lights. He was apprehended and detained after a short foot pursuit.”

Hoffman, who was a passenger in the truck, went into the store’s restroom just before the deputy activated his blue lights, according to Koon. Another deputy detained her right after Williams was apprehended.

“Deputies found 90 grams of meth and zip-close bags in the bathroom along with Hoffman’s cellphone,” Koon said. “The same type of bags and used needles were found in Hoffman’s purse.”

Deputies found a handgun on the passenger seat during their search of the truck, according to a warrant.

Hoffman and Williams were arrested on the scene. They were being held in the Lexington County Detention Center while they await a bond hearing.

Airport Blvd. reopened Monday

A section of Airport Boulevard has reopened following an accident Monday morning.

Cayce police say a crash on Airport Blvd. at Stratford Road involving a tractor trailer and a propane truck closed a section of the road.

The accident has cleared and the driver of the propane truck was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.