The day thieves stole his truck and trailer, Alex Gonzalez nearly lost his entire business. Inside was thousands of dollars' worth of lawn care equipment that fueled Gonzalezs livelihood.
A 15-year-old male from Denmark allegedly admitted to committing multiple crimes during a three-day period, according to Denmark Police Chief Leroy Grimes.
The string of crimes took place from Jan. 25 until Jan. 27, Grimes said Wednesday.
The teen is facing charges of second-degree burglary, attempted burglary and two counts of grand larceny.
Additional charges are pending, Grimes said.
Grimes said the crimes were captured on video surveillance cameras, which helped officers identify the suspect.
The teen is accused of the following:
• Breaking into the Ampm gas station, located at 17729 Heritage Hwy.
• Breaking into the Rainbow gas station, located at 18076 Heritage Hwy.
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• Taking an unsecured vehicle that was left with the engine running. It was recovered in Bamberg.
The teen was taken into custody on Saturday after he allegedly led law enforcement on a chase while driving a vehicle stolen from the Family Dollar parking lot, located at 18038 Heritage Highway in Denmark.
The chase went from Bamberg County to Orangeburg County, where the driver crashed.
The vehicle then caught fire, Grimes said.
Grimes said the teen allegedly admitted to the crimes and additional charges are pending.
“Parents need to pay more attention to their kids and their whereabouts,” Grimes said.
He also said vehicle owners need to turn off the engines and lock the doors when parking, whether shopping, at home or anywhere else.
“Please don’t leave your vehicle unattended,” he said.
Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD
Martha Rose Brown
Staff Writer
Martha Rose Brown covers crime and other topics. She's worked as a journalist in the region for the past 20 years.
