Port Royal man found hiding in closet of home he broke into twice sentenced

(photo: 14th Judicial Circuit Court)

(photo: 14th Judicial Circuit Court)

Beaufort, SC (WOLO) — The 14th Judicial Circuit court says 22 year old Ben Reed IV guilty of burglarizing the same home twice getting away with guns and electronics. According to Jacob McFadden who prosecuted the case, Reed has been sentenced to at least 27 years in prison for burglarizing a home two times in less than 10 days.

Officials say Reed broke into the Beaufort home the first time November 7th, 2017 around 7 in the morning before the residence returned home to find a door to the home open, the living room television sitting on the floor and the kitchen window open. Several items were missing according to investigators, including two handguns, two video game consoles, a laptop, IPads and a smart watch. According to prosecutors, Reed left a fingerprint behind at the scene.

Then again on November 17th, officials say Reed broke into the same home. This time around 1 AM where authorities say neighbors noticed a flashlight beaming inside the home before watching “an intruder” exit out of the the back door of the residence until deputies arrived. That’s when he ran back into the home.

When police arrived at the home they contacted the homeowner to make sure no one was suppose to be inside the home. That women came home deputies say used her key to let them inside where they found him hiding inside a closet, wearing a pair of sneakers officials say he stole during the first burglary.

Reed has been sentenced to 10 years for the first robbery and 17 additional years for the second.