Joint manhunt leads to arrest of suspected burglar

Lexington/Orangeburg ,SC (WOLO) — Lexington County Police, along with SLED and US Marshals arrested a man they have been searching for in connection with a pair of Orangeburg County burglaries.

Authorities say 20 year old Marshall Spence Meeks is suspected of the breaking into a home November 24th around 7:15 in the morning. Officials say he held both the mother and daughter of the home at gunpoint while demanding the mother’s purse, where is is accused of taking credit cards, jewelry and prescription drugs. Authorities say the suspect is also accused of stealing a big screen television from the victims former residence.

Meeks was in court Monday December 3rd for a bond hearing in which the victim spoke before the Judge. Authorities say the woman was victimized twice by the same suspect. That victim spoke out in court saying having a firearm pointed at her and her teenage daughter during at least one of the alleged incidents, was “beyond devastating”.

Sheriff Leroy Ravenell says his detectives believe the motive behind the burglaries was theft and the reason they worked with such urgency to get Meeks off the street was in part because of the use of the gun. Ravenell says “this suspect pointed a gun at two innocent victims who hadn’t harmed him in any way. He threatens her with a firearm for what? A little change from her purse and a debit card.”

Meeks bond has been deferred to circuit court judge for an unspecified date and is charged with two counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of larceny, two counts of petit larceny, and one count of malicious injury to real property.

The investigation is ongoing.