news in brief

Lexington cemetary vandalized

A cemetery in Lexington was vandalized, and police are asking for the public’s help.

Headstones and grave sites were damaged at the AME New Bethel Church Cemetery recently. The cemetery is at 500 S. Lake Drive in Lexington.

The Lexington Police Department reports moved and damaged headstones.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lexington PD at 803-358-2067.

Fuel spill shuts down South Lake

The Lexington County Fire Services HAZMAT units responded to the 1000 block of South Lake Drive because of a diesel-fuel spill last Thursday.

75 gallons of diesel spilled into road. Crews worked to contain and prevent runoff into storm runoffs. No injuries were reported.

Multi-county chase ends in crash

Lexington County deputies arrested an Orangeburg man after he led law enforcement on a chase that ended in a crash on I-26 Friday morning.

The chase started at mile maker 139 on I-26 when John Edward Atkins, 32, stole an Orangeburg County Fire Services vehicle and sped off, according to Calhoun County Sheriff Thomas Summers, Jr.

The suspect crashed into another vehicle on I-26 west bound between Piney Grove Road and St. Andrews Road in Lexington County.

One person was injured and transported to a local hospital.

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office will seek arrest warrants for grand larceny, failure to stop for blue lights, possession of methamphetamine and driving under suspension.

Irmo man convicted at trial for

shooting 2 women

Tashonby Pedrick Wilson, age 34, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for shooting 2 Lexington County women.

Wilson was convicted of one count of attempted murder, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Under South Carolina law, attempted murder and the assault charge are classified as “no parole” offenses.

Both of the victims recovered from their injuries.

Wilson has a lengthy criminal history with multiple prior convictions for burglaries and will be transported to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.

Co-defendant gets 60 days in jail

William Jackson Johnson pleaded guilty on April 23 to his part in an insurance fraud case in Lexington County.

Judge Frank Addy accepted his plea and sentenced Johnson to 3 years in prison, suspended to 60 days in jail, 5 years of probation and $9,000 restitution.

Johnson is the co-defendant of Brenda M. Leno, 55, of Lexington. She entered a plea of guilty on March 27, 2019, on an insurance fraud charge.

Judge Frank Addy sentenced Leno to 18 months in prison, which was suspended to 5 years of probation. A special condition of her probation is that she pay $18,000 of restitution to the insurance company, the amount she received through the fraud. She is allowed to pay $100/month for the term of probation. The remainder of any money owed will be converted to a civil judgment against Leno.

Man charged in kidnapping,

break-ins

A Calhoun County man is accused of forcefully entering homes and demanding to be shown to a safe.

Andre Terrell McFadden, 20, is charged with kidnapping, safe cracking, burglary, first degree assault and battery, armed robbery and possessing a weapon during a violent crime, according to arrest warrants.

Lexington County investigators charged McFadden in connection to a January break-in at a house in the 1400 block of Beaver Dam Road.

“Based on information detectives have confirmed during their investigation, McFadden went in and made people show him to their safe while holding them at gunpoint,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “He got away with cash and jewelry.”

The West Columbia Police Department has also charged McFadden in a similar case in its jurisdiction.

McFadden is being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.