3 arrested in Sumter County for grand larceny after stealing vehicle

Sumter County investigators determined that 18-year-old Tyler Cooper and two minors were the ones responsible for stealing the vehicle.

Photo: Sumter County Sheriff's Office

SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO)– The people have been arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle, says deputies.

According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, a 14-year-old, 16-year-old and a 18-year-old were all arrested for grand larceny.

But the 16-year-old was also arrested for failure to stop, on top of the grand larceny charge.

A Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Deputy says they responded to a report of a stolen Hyundai in the early afternoon of Easter, March 31.

Within an hour, dispatch notified deputies that they received a report of a black Hyundai driving recklessly in the Red Bay Road area, say SCSO.

A short time later, a deputy saw a vehicle matching the description of the stolen vehicle turn from Manning Road to Old Pocalla Road.

The deputy says when they got near the car, it increased its speed so the deputy activated the emergency lights and siren of the patrol car before the pursuit.

During the pursuit, the deputy got confirmation that the car was reported as stolen.

Eventually the driver of the stolen car stopped on Weatherly Road, exited the car, and ran across a ditch into the backyard of a home, says the sheriff’s office.

Deputies then made the four passengers who were minors get out of the vehicle.

The passengers told investigators they had asked the driver for a ride but had not noticed the broken steering wheel ignition and broken glass on the seat when they got in the car.

All of the minors were released to their parents.

After talking to witnesses, collecting evidence from the vehicle, and at the home of one of the passengers, investigators narrowed their search for the driver and concluded that one of the minors was allegedly the driver.

Also, investigators determined that 18-year-old Tyler Cooper and two minors were the ones responsible for stealing the vehicle.

Cooper and the minors including the driver surrendered themselves to deputies at the sheriff’s office.  One minor told deputies they learned how to steal the car from watching Tik-Tok videos.

The teens were taken to family court and Cooper was arrested and given a $12,500 surety bond.