Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Police | Fire at home of former councilwoman

Police

Surfside Beach

Fire at home of former councilwoman

Surfside Beach firefighters were called to put out a fire at the home of Rebecca Hiatt, a former Surfside Beach councilwoman and fellow firefighter, Friday night around 6 p.m., officials said.

No one was home at the time, but some of Hiatt's pets were killed at the house on 719 N. Myrtle Drive, said Richard Loskill, a Surfside Beach firefighter.

There was a significant amount of smoke and water damage to the home and Hiatt will likely have to relocate for at least a month, Loskill said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Horry County

Pedestrian identified after death

The name of a man killed while trying to cross U.S. 17 Thursday night was released by authorities Saturday.

Fernando Mendoza Garcia, 24, died Friday morning at New Hanover Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C., from multiple traumas, said deputy Horry County coroner Tamara Willard. Willard said she did not have a local address for Mendoza Garcia, who had moved here from Mexico, where his wife still lives.

Mendoza was struck by an SUV around 6:35 p.m. while attempting to cross the highway near Lake Arrowhead Road, said Cpl. Sonny Collins, spokesman for the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Collins said the driver of the 2002 Lexus SUV was not injured and was not at fault because pedestrians are not allowed in the roadway on U.S. 17. He said the accident remains under investigation, but no charges are expected.

Loris

Police looking for armed robbery suspect

Horry County police officers are searching for someone a pizza delivery driver says robbed him late Friday evening, said Lt. Jay Brantly with the Horry County police.

The driver was sitting outside Domino's Pizza at 209 U.S. 701 N. in Loris when he says he was approached by an individual who produced a gun, robbed him and took off in a car, Brantly said.

The delivery driver said he tried to follow the robber in his car and the gunman fired a couple of shots at him, he said. The Domino's employee said he was not hit by the shots and the robber eventually got away, Brantly said.

Conway

Man caught stealing scrap metal

Conway police arrested a man caught stealing metal from an area business, according to a police report.

Robert Vernon Ellison Jr., 27, of 1952 Jaffa Court, was charged with petit larceny after an employee of Coastal Paper on East Cox Ferry Road called his boss to report a man was loading scrap pieces of steel into the trunk of his car at the business, police said.

When police arrived the man dropped a piece of steel he had in his hands and began removing other pieces from his car and apologized, according to the report. The man told the officer he was trying to make ends meet after having a tough time, the officer wrote in the report. Police estimated the man had about $1,000 worth of scrap metal in his vehicle from the site, according to the report.

Myrtle Beach

Thief apologizes as he steals beer

A man apologized to the clerk of a Myrtle Beach convenience store as he stole two cases of beer, according to a police report.

The clerk of the Kangaroo Express at 3305 N. Kings Highway told police that at 3 p.m. Thursday a man came into the store and got two cases of beer and, as he walked out of the store without paying, he said he was sorry. The clerk chased the man out of the store, but the man drove away, according to the report. The beer was valued at $30.

Myrtle Beach

Couple quarrels anew over old charges

A Myrtle Beach man was charged with assaulting his girlfriend this week after she refused to write a letter defending him in a prior criminal domestic violence case that also involved her, according to a police report.

The 45-year-old woman told police her 46-year-old boyfriend attacked her about 5:30 p.m. in their motel room at Sea Banks when she refused to help him in the pending domestic violence case, police said.

The woman said the man had been charged twice before with criminal domestic violence for assaulting her.

The woman said he grabbed her by her hair, threw her on the bed and then began punching her in the face, according to the report released Friday. The man left the room before police arrived.

The woman had several scratches on her face and a large area of her hair was missing, according to the report. The woman was treated at the scene by EMS and she left the motel room with police for a safe location.

Local

Georgetown

Hospital officials to discuss reform

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce will host a forum on the state of the health care system from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday with speakers Bruce P. Bailey, CEO of Georgetown Hospital System, and Thornton Kirby, CEO of the South Carolina Hospital Association.

The Lunch & Learn seminar will be at Inlet Affairs, 4024 U.S.17 Business, Murrells Inlet. The cost is $15 for chamber members and $20 for non-members. Registrations must be paid in advance by Tuesday. Reservations can be made online at www.visitgeorge.com or by calling Rhonda Housand at 546-8436, ext. 21.