UNION — What began as a report of a shoplifting became a two-county chase that ended with a stolen car wrecked and two men under arrest and one of them facing charges in Union and Spartanburg counties, the City of Spartanburg and Arizona.
Jose Alfred Felix Jr., 108 Mountain Brook Lane, Spartanburg, is charged by the Union County Sheriff’s Office with failure to stop for a blue light, driving under suspension, shoplifting, and reckless driving.
Robert Lacoste Kirven IV, 205 Hillside Drive, Roebuck, is charged with shoplifting.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff David Taylor said the incident involving Felix and Kirven began when deputies were dispatched just after 7 p.m. Sunday to the Dollar General store at 1303 Lockhart Highway, Union, in reference to shoplifters who’d just left the scene. Taylor said a description of the shoplifters — later identified as Felix and Kirven — and the vehicle they were in was given out by dispatch enabling a S.C. Highway patrolman to locate them on Arthur Boulevard near the intersection of N. Pinckney Street. He said the patrolman attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver, Felix, refused to stop.
Taylor said deputies took over the pursuit of Felix and Kirven on S.C. 215 and the chase continued into Spartanburg County where the two then turned on to S.C. 56 at Pauline. He said the chase came to an end when Felix and Kirven turned left onto Carolina Country Club Road, lost control of their car, and crashed.
After being taken into custody, Taylor said Felix and Kirven were transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center as a precaution. He said that neither of them were injured and they were released from the hospital and taken to jail.
Taylor said investigators soon learned that Felix was wanted by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office for attempted murder, two counts of pointing and presenting a firearm, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in connection with an Oct. 26 incident. He said investigators determined that the car Felix and Kirven were driving — a 2003 F150 — had been stolen in the City of Spartanburg and Felix wanted by the Spartanburg Police Department for auto theft.
In addition to the charges he’s facing in South Carolina, Taylor said Felix is wanted in Arizona for aggravated criminal domestic violence.
Taylor said Felix and Kirven are being held in the Union County Jail and will remain there until a bond hearing is held. He said Spartanburg County has placed a detainer on Felix and that the City of Spartanburg also wants him.
Arizona authorities have been notified that Felix is in custody, but Taylor said they have not informed his office as to whether they will seek to extradite him.
Taylor said that while chases like the one involving Felix are and Kirven are dangerous, they can serve a good purpose when they result in a dangerous criminal being taken off the street.
“There are usually other reasons that we find that drivers flee and attempt to avoid capture,” Taylor said. “In this case, although the identity of the driver was not known at the time, we felt that there were other reasons these two suspects chose to flee. We now know, with the severity of the pending charges in Spartanburg County, that we were dealing with a dangerous individual.”
Editor Charles Warner can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 14, or by email at cwarner@heartlandpublications.com.
Post a Comment
