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NEWS RELEASES
| Major John Allard, PIO Office, 785-2415, 24-Hour Press Box: 799-2001, Ext. 1100
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Man Arrested in Robbery of Cab Driver |
 Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputies on Saturday, September 19 arrested a 19-year-old West Columbia man on charges that he robbed, kidnapped, assaulted and carjacked a 54-year-old cab driver who drove the 19-year-old man to various locations near West Columbia.
Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said Deputy Kristi Goddard and Deputy Keenan Price arrested Michael Edward Wolfe, 19, of 116 Villas Court, West Columbia, at 8:40 a.m. on Saturday on charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, carjacking, possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and unlawfully carrying a weapon. Wolfe was being held on Sunday, September 20 at the Lexington County Detention Center on bail totaling $500,000.
Goddard and Price arrested Wolfe after an off-duty deputy, Code Enforcement Officer Erich Ackermann, saw Wolfe driving a Checker Yellow cab erratically on Platt Springs Road near the intersection with Emanuel Church Road, Metts said. Ackermann telephoned 9-1-1 to report Wolfe’s suspicious driving and kept an eye on Wolfe as Wolfe drove the 1996 Ford Crown Victoria cab.
Ackermann reported that Wolfe was swerving on and off the road on Platt Springs Road and on several occasions, Wolfe nearly collided head-on with other motor vehicles, Metts said. Wolfe drove the cab to a parking lot and parked the vehicle behind a flooring business at 2744 Emanuel Church Road near West Columbia.
Goddard arrived on scene at 8:17 a.m. on Saturday and found Wolfe and the cab driver, Gerald Robert Hewson, 54, standing by the driver’s side door of the cab, Metts said. Goddard ordered Wolfe and Hewson to place their hands in the air and step away from the cab.
As Goddard approached Wolfe and Hewson, Goddard saw that Hewson’s shirt and face were bloody, Metts said. Hewson told Goddard that Wolfe had left a .40-caliber handgun in the driver’s seat of the cab. Goddard handcuffed Wolfe and placed Wolfe in investigative detention.
Hewson told Goddard that Wolfe hit him multiple times in the head with the handgun, causing cuts on his head, Metts said. Goddard found that Hewson’s left ear was bleeding.
Hewson told Goddard that he drove his cab to Arthurdale Drive near West Columbia at about 4:10 a.m. on Saturday and picked up Wolfe as a customer, Metts said. Hewson told Goddard that he spent about three hours driving Wolfe to various locations near West Columbia.
Hewson told Goddard that he stopped his cab in the parking lot near the flooring business on Emanuel Church Road, Metts said. Wolfe exited the cab in order to make a telephone call.
After he completed his phone call, Hewson told Goddard that Wolfe pulled out the handgun, re-entered the cab, pointed the handgun at Hewson’s head and ordered Hewson to give Wolfe his money, Metts said. Wolfe then ordered Hewson to exit the cab and get on his knees. Wolfe hit Hewson several times on his head with the handgun.
Hewson told Goddard that Wolfe ordered him to drive the cab to a convenience store on Platt Springs Road, Metts said. After parking the cab at the convenience store, Wolfe gave Hewson $20 in cash and ordered Hewson to buy one case of beer and one pack of cigarettes.
Hewson told Goddard that Wolfe ordered him to drive the cab back to the parking lot on Emanuel Church Road, Metts said. After parking the cab at the parking lot, Wolfe ordered Hewson to exit the cab and get on his knees. While Hewson was on his knees, Wolfe pointed the handgun at Hewson and told Hewson to return to the cab and let Wolfe drive the cab.
Hewson told Goddard that Wolfe drank beer while Wolfe drove the cab erratically on Platt Springs Road, swerving on and off the road and driving in the opposing travel lanes, Metts said. Wolfe drove to a drive-thru window at a fast-food restaurant on Emanuel Church Road at the intersection with Platt Springs Road, ordered food and then parked the cab behind the flooring business on Emanuel Church Road so that he could eat the food that he had purchased.
Goddard arrived on scene shortly after Wolfe parked the cab so that Wolfe could eat the food that Wolfe had purchased at the fast-food restaurant, Metts said. Lexington County Emergency Medical Services personnel treated Hewson on scene for his injuries.
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