Three more people charged with burglary, looting following protests
Four Columbia businesses were broken into, incurring thousands of dollars of lost goods and damages
RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO) —More arrests have been made for looting that took place throughout Richland County following peaceful protests two weeks ago.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says three people were arrested after breaking into several businesses and stealing thousands of dollars worth of liquor and fireworks.
After violence erupted after peaceful protests took place in the heart of Columbia on May 30, Sheriff Leon Lott says there was nothing peaceful about burning police cars and breaking into businesses.
“Under disguise of the peaceful protests, individuals like this went out and tried to destroy the City of Columbia and Richland County,” Sheriff Lott said.
On Sunday, May 31, around 11:00 p.m., deputies say a group of 28 people broke into Green’s Liquor on Assembly Street and stole $5,400 worth of liquor.
A smaller version of the group broke into three more businesses hours later, taking $1,000 worth of fireworks and causing thousands more dollars in property damage.
The three businesses were: Rodney’s Rockets on Clemson Road, Express Alterations and Dry Cleaners on Hardscrabble Road, and Andrew’s Jewelry on Two Notch Road.
Corey Haynes, 33, Xavier Creech, 17, and and Preston Helms, 27, were charged with second degree burglary and looting during a state emergency.
(left to right): Corey Haynes, Xavier Creech, and Preston Helms
Deputies say Haynes took part in the break-in’s at Green’s and Rodney’s Rockets, Creech (who was charged as an adult) was involved in the alterations shop break-in, and Helms took part in the break-in’s at the fireworks store, alterations shop, and jewelry store.
“They’re nothing but common criminals with nothing to do with a peaceful protest,” Sheriff Lott said.
The search is not over for some people involved in the looting. Authorities need help in identifying a woman seen in her car outside one of the stores as well as two people involved in a fight where a passerby was left injured in Downtown Columbia.
“This team of investigators has done a remarkable job scouring video, social media, identifying folks, getting pictures that could help us identify them,” said Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook.
Sheriff Lott says his team is still actively investigating and following up on leads in each of these incidents, as well as other events that took place following the peaceful protests.
“We want to hold them responsible and accountable, and it doesn’t matter how long it takes us. We want to locate every one of them that we could, and we’re going to bring them to justice,” Sheriff Lott said.
Sheriff Lott also announced that Joshua Barnard, 24, who was seen just yards from him at the protest wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt and is possibly linked with the anti-government “Boogaloo” group, was re-arrested on 11 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
The Sheriff said only two people with “Boogaloo” ties have been arrested, but his team is on the look out for others.
If you have any information on people involved in the looting or any of the violent events back on May 30, call Crime Stoppers at 1 (888) CRIME-SC.
