Holbrook: Officer Thwarts Home Burglary, Finds Heroin and Machete in Suspect’s Vehicle
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook credits one of his officers from thwarting a home burglary in an East Columbia neighborhood after making two narcotics arrests last weekend.
Acting on a tip, the female officer was dispatched to the 200 block of Beaver Lake Drive on December 4 for a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in a cul-de-sac at Woodcreek Farms, Holbrook said.
As the officer investigated the claim, Holbrook said she found two males sitting inside a Jeep.
The officer immediately noticed that the men kept moving throughout the vehicle as she approached and spotted syringes on the floorboard and center console of the Jeep, Holbrook said.
During initial questioning, one of the suspects allegedly told the officer that he had a loaded semi-automatic handgun under his leg.
When the suspects exited the vehicle, the officer also noticed handcuffs, binoculars, a crow bar, gloves and ski masks on the floor board of the passenger’s side of the vehicle, officials say.
The suspects, Randal Duvall, 25, and Joshua Tisdale, 25, were charged with possession of heroin, criminal conspiracy and possession of burglary tools.
One of the suspects allegedly told officers that he and the other suspect had just used heroin and planned to break into a Beaver Lake Drive home with the tools that were discovered.
Officers also found heroin, a machete, money, jewelry, coin collections, and pawn slips.
CPD investigators say it was determined that the jewelry, cash and coins CPD officers found in the Jeep were taken from a home in the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdiction.
