A former Olanta police officer was arrested after deputies said he set fire to his mother’s car because he didn’t want to repair it, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said.
Robert Brendon Smith, 28, of 428 Chester Road is charged with third-degree arson and filing a false report, Boone said.
Deputies said Smith and his neighbor, 40-year-old James David Morris of 439 Chester Road, set fire July 8 to a 2001 Dodge Dakota on Johnnie Lee Road in Coward, Boone said.
Investigators said the next day, Smith called central dispatch and reported the car stolen. When deputies arrived, Smith filed an incident report and signed an affidavit stating that he didn’t have anything to do with the vehicle disappearance, Boone said.
Arson investigators later found the truck and discovered that it had intentionally been set on fire by someone using an accelerant, the sheriff said.
The car was registered to Smith’s mother, but was routinely used by Smith and his wife.
Deputies think the suspects destroyed the vehicle because it needed some repairs to its transmission, Boone said.
Olanta Police Chief Mark Strickland said Smith resigned from the department Wednesday.
Smith was employed at the department for about 10 months, Strickland said.
Smith was released from the jail in Effingham on Thursday after posting a $5,000 person recognizance bond.
Morris, who also is charged with third-degree arson, remains custody awaiting a bond hearing.
The Olanta Police Department now has two officers, excluding the chief.
No comments:
Post a Comment