Homeowner says doormat bandit steals mat, tries to light it on fire
The following incidents were taken from the City of Charleston Police Department’s crime reports within Team 5, which covers Daniel Island, Clements Ferry Road, and parts of Cainhoy, between Nov. 15-30.
SHOPLIFTING
On Nov. 17, Team 5 responded to a shoplifting incident at a retail store on Clements Ferry Road. Three men parked a blue sedan at the back of the store and entered through the front. They filled shopping carts with miscellaneous items and then left out the back door. A store employee was not sure what products were stolen but noticed several large containers of laundry detergent and a grill in the cart. The estimated value of the stolen items is $2,500. Investigators plan to review store video footage.
DRUG VIOLATION
An officer initiated a traffic stop on Island Park Drive on Nov. 18 after noticing a truck traveling with a headlight out. When making contact with the driver, police observed a large blood stain on the shoulder of his shirt. He detected the distinct odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A check on the National Crime Information Center database revealed that the individual had a warrant out for arrest in Berkeley County for assault. An inspection of the vehicle revealed a loaded handgun in the center console and 25 grams of marijuana in the glove box. The suspect was transported to Roper Saint Francis for his injuries, then arrested for multiple charges and lodged at the Berkeley County Detention Center.
LARCENY BY FALSE PRETENSES
On Nov. 19, police were dispatched to a residence on Barfield Street to investigate fraudulent activity. The complainant received a call from someone impersonating a representative at a credit card company. He was told that his account had been compromised and that he would need to install a firewall on his computer to prevent further corruption. Once the complainant installed the software, he noticed a $200 charge on his checking account, labeled as Dark Web. The victim then received a call from someone who claimed to work at a digital payment platform. The caller said he was correcting the false charge but claimed the individual entered $20,000 instead of $200. The complainant was told he needed to withdraw cash to fix the error and complied, removing $19,700 from two different banks and depositing it into cryptocurrency accounts. Police advised the victim to freeze his accounts. An investigation is pending.
VANDALISM
On Nov. 20, a victim came to the Team 5 office to report an incident that occurred on Nov. 1. He stated that an unknown individual walked onto his front porch and took his doormat. The suspect was captured on video. A neighbor advised that someone had tried to burn the doormat in a wooded area next to the property, and when it was recovered, it smelled of lighter fluid. The homeowner is interested in pursuing charges if the suspect can be positively identified.
A sedan on Pierce Street on Nov. 20 was damaged during the overnight hours. The driver’s side rear window was broken out; nothing was missing from the vehicle. Police are working to recover video footage from nearby residences.