Armed Robbery at Sportsman’s Corner – 2 in Custody

Two suspects were taken into custody Friday night, Nov. 11, by the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office for their suspected part in an armed robbery that occurred at Sportsman’s Corner on Martintown Road.  According to a spokesperson with the ECSO and a report on the matter, a man walked into the convenience store Friday night around 8:00 and showed a gun to the clerk behind the counter and demanded money.   A customer in the store was able to distract the robber long enough for the clerk to dial 911 and leave an open line.  The clerk did give the suspect an undisclosed amount of money, and he left the building and fled the scene in a silver Jeep Wrangler.

An ECSO deputy responding to the scene was at Martintown and Briggs Roads when he observed the Jeep pull out from the convenience store without yielding to traffic and with the headlights off.  The deputy attempted to pull the vehicle over, but it attempted to increase its speed and turn onto Summerlake Drive.  In attempting to make that turn, the vehicle hit the subdivision’s concrete sign and came to a stop.  The driver and a passenger in the vehicle exited the Jeep and began running from the scene toward the wood line.  Another passenger, a female, remained in the stopped Jeep.  The two fleeing suspects continued to run, ignoring law enforcement commands to stop.  However, when one of the fleeing men stopped to retrieve a handgun he had dropped, the deputy giving chase was able to apprehend him.

The other suspect remained on the run and eluded capture.  It was later learned that he was able to contact someone to come and get him.  He was then taken to a bus station from where, it is believed, he returned to Greensboro, NC.  The ECSO has identified this suspect, although his identity is not being released at this time, and warrants are being issued for his arrest.  Those charges include armed robbery, Burglary 1^st, and possession of stolen property.

The other two suspects in this case, Khalid Edward Cochran, II, 27, of Greensboro, NC, and Kiana Nicole Dorty, 21, of Salisbury, NC, were arrested at the scene.  Cochran has been identified as the suspect who went into the convenience store and robbed it at gun point.  He and Dorty are being charged with armed robbery, possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, and possession of stolen property.

The ECSO did retrieve all of the money believed to have been stolen in this robbery.

Separate Incidents of Firearms Reported Missing/Stolen

Firearms were reported missing/stolen to the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office in three different incidents.  The first was reported on Nov. 6 when a man living at a residence on Cooper Loop in North Augusta (Edgefield County) informed law enforcement that he returned home to find his .380 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol missing.  The man stated company had been in his home the day before but that he had questioned said guests and they denied having the firearm.  The pistol, said to be worth $400, was placed on N.C.I.C.

The second report came Nov. 8 from a home on Plum Branch Road in Edgefield where the homeowner told law enforcement he had returned home to notice his Stage M-3 5.56 rifle missing from his gun cabinet along with two 30 round magazines, a 40 round magazine, and 5.56 ammunition.  There was no forced entry into the residence, and the home owner stated he did not know who might have taken the gun.  In all, the missing items were listed as being worth $1300.  The gun was placed on N.C.I.C.

The third report came from a burglary call at a home on Summer Lake Drive in North Augusta (Edgefield County) on Nov. 11.  The resident of the home told law enforcement that when he returned home and opened his garage door, he observed that the door to his home was open.  As deputies cleared the scene, they located a red shirt and a blue bag containing clothes in the center of the kitchen floor but found no one inside the home.  It was determined entry had been gained into the home by forcing open a back window to the residence.  A search of the home revealed an unknown model 9 shot .22 caliber handgun and a glass jar containing an assortment of coins were taken.  The combined estimated worth of these items was listed as $600.

All three of these cases have been forwarded to the investigation unit of the ECSO.