S.C. teens charged with killing man who gave them roadside help
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Police say two South Carolina teenagers shot and killed a man after he helped them pull their SUV out of a ditch, reports CBS affiliate WCSC.
Bond has been denied for 19-year-old Michael Dupree-Tyler and a 17-year-old also charged in the death of 45-year-old Chadwich Garrett. All three are residents of North Charleston.
Police said in an affidavit that the incident began Monday night when a witness asked Garrett to help the suspects pull their 2016 Dodge Durango out of a roadside ditch.
According to witnesses, Garrett agreed to pull the suspects’ SUV out of the ditch for $20.
Authorities say after Garrett pulled the suspects’ vehicle out of the ditch around 11 p.m., he asked the suspects about the money they owed him, and the 17-year-old allegedly took out a gun and fired multiple shots. Garrett was struck in the chest and died at the scene.
The affidavit states that the 17-year-old then got into the passenger side of the Durango while Tyler drove.
Authorities say 20 minutes after the shooting, 911 operators received a call from a woman who said the suspects used her SUV without permission. The description of the vehicle and the suspects matched the ones from the murder scene, police said.
When officers arrived at the woman’s home she told authorities that the suspects were inside, according to the affidavit.
Officers say following a brief standoff, the suspects left the home and were taken into custody. Investigators say Tyler confessed to being on scene of the shooting, and the 17-year-old confessed to shooting the victim.
Each suspect has been charged with murder, and the 17-year-old was also charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime.