A 17-year-old Jasper County resident named Victor Cervantes has been charged with carjacking, armed robbery, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after allegedly robbing partygoers of a Camaro at gunpoint and engaging in a high-speed police chase through Hardeeville. According to the Ridgeland Police Department, Cervantes even took to Snapchat to brag about his criminal feat.
In addition to Cervantes, a 16-year-old boy who accompanied him was also charged with the same offenses. The 16-year-old, being a minor, will be tried through the Family Court system and has not been publicly identified. However, Cervantes, being 17 years old and charged with a Class A felony, is considered an adult under South Carolina law.
The incident took place on June 18 at the Jasper County Farmer’s Market, where a group of partygoers informed the police that they had been held at gunpoint by two young men who stole a 2018 Camaro SS. Lieutenant Daniel Litchfield, a spokesperson for the department, mentioned that the stolen car had an estimated value of $20,000 and also contained an iPhone and $3,000 in cash.
Shortly after receiving the report of the stolen vehicle, Hardeeville police initiated a chase that was eventually stopped after the driver crossed the Georgia state line. The car was later found abandoned on the side of the road by a trooper from the Georgia State Patrol.
Despite having no major leads, Ridgeland investigators received a break in the case when they were alerted to a video posted on Cervantes’ Snapchat story. In the video, the 17-year-old can be seen bragging about the high-speed chase. The SC Law Enforcement Division’s Fugitive Task Force located Cervantes and took him into custody, where he confessed to stealing the car and evading Hardeeville officers, according to Lt. Litchfield. Unfortunately, the $3,000 in cash has yet to be recovered.
Cervantes is currently being held at the Jasper County Detention Center. The incident, which occurred on June 18, adds to the growing number of vehicle thefts happening in Beaufort County during the summer. According to Maj. Angela Viens, the Sheriff’s Office received 15 reports of car thefts in a month-long period ending on June 22. Similarly, the Bluffton Police Department reported a rash of stolen vehicles in various neighborhoods that same month. One of the stolen vehicles was found engulfed in flames in Baynard Park, as reported by Sgt. Bonifacio Perez.
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
