Personal Injury Attorney in Chesterfield, SC

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — Chesterfield County Sheriff Cambo Streater confirmed that one of the four inmates who escaped from the Chesterfield County Detention Center was caught in Columbia.

Streater said Emanuel Robson Planco is being held in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

He added he is still waiting to learn what led deputies to catch Plenco.

Anton Conway Bennett, Kyonne Marquise McLeod and De’Shawn Malik Fox still remain on the run.

They all broke out of the Chesterfield County Detention Center around 11 p.m. Monday.

Guards did not realize they were gone until 5 a.m. Tuesday, according to Streater.

Streater said they’ve called the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to help track the inmates.

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Streater said one of the inmates has robbery charges out of Darlington County, but was being held in his jail for safekeeping reasons.

According to Streater, the inmates got a six-hour head start on deputies and could be as far as Columbia, South Carolina.

The inmates had escaped nearly five hours before anyone realized they were gone, according to Streater.

"Immediately as soon as we found out, we started searching. Darlington County is assisting us. The state law enforcement, division, SLED has got manpower up here, assisting. And we are looking all over we know where the four guys are from. Where their homes," said Streater.

The information regarding how the inmates managed to escape is not being released at this time. Streater said they are investigating if any of his correctional officers were negligent in their duties.

Thomas Dixon said he was in the jail Monday about to be released on a trespassing charge when the jail went on lockdown. At the time, Dixon said he didn't know the escape triggered a lockdown.

"The judge came and released me. But, they still held us in jail up to 12:30 today. And we were supposed to be out at 9 o'clock," said Dixon.

This is the second time since last summer that the detention center has had escaped inmates.

The sheriff said the jail is 60 years old and not in the best shape.

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He told ABC15 that correctional officers walk through the facility throughout the night and do a head count of inmates every morning and night.

He said it is hard to determine if an inmate is missing when guards do their walk-throughs because the jail is overcrowded.

Streater told ABC15 that the jail has 130 inmates and is only built to accommodate 95.

"We have them in areas that are secure areas. But you know we only have so many people. And you can’t watch everything at every time. But that is a part of our investigation. We are going to look and see exactly what happened," said Streater.

Streater said the search has expanded to the Columbia area and is hoping to get an update soon with more information on the search.

Investigators are also looking into whether the inmates stole a 2015 pickup from a car lot on Patrick Highway in Chesterfield County to use in their getaway.

“We are looking into that. It’s a possibility. But we are at this moment. We are looking into it,” said Streater.

The Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office shared a picture of the truck on social media. The pickup has since been recovered.

Inmates who are charged with escaping from detention centers in South Carolina face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

If you have any information on these individuals, Sheriff Cambo Streater asks you to contact the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office tip line at 843-287-0235.

Building age contributed to escape, officials said

CHESTERFIELD, S.C. (WBTV) - A detention center in Chesterfield County was short staffed when four inmates escaped at the same time earlier this week, the sheriff confirmed to WBTV.

Four inmates -- identified as Emanuel Planco, Anton Bennett, Kyonne McLeod, and De’Shawn Fox -- escaped from a Chesterfield County detention center the night of Monday, Oct. 14, officials reported the next day. Planco was found and arrested on Thursday, Oct. 17, but the remaining escapees were still being sought at that time.

When sitting down with WBTV this week, Chesterfield County Sheriff Cambo Streater said the inmates were able to escape due to building and staffing issues.

According to Streater, the age of the detention center is a concern when it comes to the 130-135 inmates lodged there each day. The four inmates that escaped had gone through an air conditioning vent, entered a chamber, and kicked open a steel door to escape the building.

Though the sheriff says the center has been properly staffed in recent months, he said the building wasn’t properly staffed on Monday night. The last head count accounting for the four inmates was recorded at 6 p.m. on Monday. By 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, the four were gone.

“We are investigating over at the jail, how it happened and exactly whose responsibility it was, and we will determine that and take appropriate action,” Streater told WBTV. “We’re looking to see if somebody was asleep at the wheel.”

Authorities had not initially shared many details about the escaped inmates, or how they got out. According to Streater, surveillance camera footage helped officials piece together what happened.

The inmates reportedly escaped around 11:30 p.m. Monday -- meaning about six hours went by before anyone knew they were missing. Law enforcement didn’t notify the public until several hours after that.

“I would call this a scheduling issue,” Streater said. “If I knew they were going to be short-staffed, we would have had somebody there.”

The four escaped inmates were being held on charges for armed robbery and vehicle theft, according to officials. Some of them were months away from getting released from jail.

Planco and Bennett were serving time for stealing a vehicle. McLeod was charged with breaking into a vehicle. Fox was an inmate from another South Carolina county who was serving time for an armed robbery and assault by a mob.

The Chesterfield County Sheriff‘s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division were still searching for the remaining inmates, as of Thursday afternoon. The inmates could face up to 15 more years in jail once they’re found, according to officials.

This is the second time this year that inmates escaped from the Chesterfield detention center. Multiple inmates have escaped from the detention center over the past few years, including two in 2022, and two in 2023.

Streater said he and the sheriff’s office will be getting their jail certification so they can step in when there are staffing shortages in the area. That will have to continue until the county pays to build a new jail.

The existing detention center has been at capacity recently. Streater said the center can “comfortably house” 95 inmates, compared to the 130-135 inmates there each day.

“We can‘t just turn them we can’t turn them loose because we don’t have room for them. We can’t say no,” Streater said. “So we do the best we can do ... we’ve got them housed in areas that were not designed to house, but we do.”

Anyone with information should call the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 843-287-0235.

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Law enforcement is searching for inmates Anton Conway Bennett, Kyonne Marquise McLeod and De’Shawn Malik Fox. Emanuel Robson Planco was found Thursday morning.

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — Four inmates in Chesterfield County escaped custody Tuesday morning, according to the county sheriff's office.

On Thursday morning, Richland County, South Carolina, deputies located and arrested Emanuel Robson Planco near Columbia.

The Richland County Sheriff's Department told WCNC Charlotte its deputies responded to the 1400 block of Willow Oak Drive around 2 a.m. on Thursday after receiving a call about a suspicious person reportedly breaking into vehicles. When they arrived on the scene, a RCSD K9 specialist reported saw the suspect break into a Kia. Deputies tried to speak with the suspect, but he reportedly drove off in the Kia, forcing deputies to chase him. According to Sheriff Leon Lott, his deputies put down stop sticks which halted the chase, but the suspect reportedly jumped out of the car and ran away.

K9 Kiro was able to track the suspect into the wood line on Lone Drive. Planco was taken to a hospital to be treated for the dog bites he received during the pursuit.

RCSD told WCNC Charlotte its deputies started an investigation and found Planco allegedly tried to break into a home on Willow Oak Drive to steal a bicycle, but the homeowner saw Planco and told deputies they fired a show into the air to scare of Planco. The investigation also found Planco reportedly broke into at least three other vehicles in that same block, stealing a PlayStation 4 and multiple credit cards and IDs.

Planco is now facing multiple charges connected to this apprehension, including failture to stop for blue lights and siren, reckless driving, posession of a stolen vehicle, grand larceny, first-degree burglary and financial transaction card theft.

Law enforcement said Anton Conway Bennett, Kyonne Marquise McLeod and De’Shawn Malik Fox are currently still on the run.

Records show McLeod and Bennett were sentenced on charges of breaking into vehicles. Bennett was additionally charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.

Fox was sentenced on charges including assaults and inflicting bodily injuries.

The four are accused of escaping early Tuesday morning. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is assisting with the search. Anyone with information is asked to call 843-287-0235.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.

Sheriff: South Carolina facility was short-staffed at time of escape

CHESTERFIELD CO., S.C. (WBTV) - Four inmates escaped from the Chesterfield County Detention Center on Monday after the sheriff admits the facility was short-staffed during the time they broke out.

Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office reported Emanuel Robson Planco, Anton Conway Bennett, Kyonne Marquise McLeod, and De’Shawn Malik Fox were wanted for escape and other charges from the jail.

UPDATE: Deputies: 1 of 4 escaped inmates from Chesterfield County caught in Richland

Planco and Bennett were serving time for charges of stealing a vehicle, McLeod was charged with breaking into a vehicle and Fox was an inmate from another South Carolina county who was serving time for an armed robbery and assault by a mob.

As of Wednesday evening, Sheriff’s deputies and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division were still searching for the men.

“I’m as concerned as the public is. I’m a citizen of this county too, and ... we’re gonna fix it,” said Chesterfield County Sheriff Cambo Streater.

He said the last headcount around 6 p.m. Monday night accounted for the four men. By the next headcount around 5 a.m.-5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, they were gone.

“They went through an air conditioning vent and got into the air a chamber where the HVAC stuff is run and the plumbing electrical work and all run and got to a door that went to the outside, just a steel door that was locked and for maintenance to go in and service all that stuff...they kicked the door until they got it until they got through it,” Streater said.

He said surveillance cameras helped investigators piece together their escape that happened around 11:30 Monday night which means about six hours went by before anyone knew they were missing.

“We are investigating over at the jail, how it happened and exactly whose responsibility it was, and we will determine that and take appropriate action,” said Streater. “We’re looking to see if somebody was asleep at the wheel.”

While according to the sheriff, the jail has been properly staffed in previous months -- but he said on Monday night, it was not.

“I would call this a scheduling issue,” Streater said. “If I knew they were going to be short-staffed, we would have had somebody there.”

In addition to staffing, he said the old building could be to blame and said the jail is consistently over capacity.

“We’re averaging about 130-135 a day. We can comfortably house 95 [inmates],” Streater said. “We can’t just turn them we can’t turn them loose because we don’t have room for them. We can’t say no. So we do the best we can do, like I said, we got them housed in areas that was not designed to house, but we do.”

The four inmates on the run have a warrant out for their arrest and could face up to 15 more years in jail once they are found.

Streater said he and all the command staff at the sheriff’s office will be getting their jail certification so they can step in and help with staffing issues when they arise in the future until the county pays to build a new jail.

Anyone with information should call the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 843-287-0235.

Get the latest breaking news sent straight to your device by downloading the free WBTV News app today.

Copyright 2024 WBTV. All rights reserved.