In Easley area burglary incidents
Anderson County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a Pelzer man last Thursday in connection with a string of burglaries that occurred late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning in the Easely/Powdersville area of Anderson County.
Stephen Anthony Laughter, 39, of Pelzer, was charged with nine different arrest warrants after a foot pursuit which in which he ran through briars and thorny bushes resulting in numerous scrapes and scratches for the suspect.
According to reports the incident began at approximately 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning when deputies were dispatched to investigate a prowler incident on Berwick Court, Easley.
While in route, they were notified that a suspicious person was also seen knocking on doors in the Mayfield Lake Subdivision. Deputies responded to Hunt Road where a property owner reported that a scantily-clad suspect, wearing only underwear and socks, had broken into his workshop, armed himself with a knife, and attempted to steal the victim’s Lincoln Town car.
Deputies received multiple calls regarding a suspect ringing doorbells and attempting to break into cars in the area. Deputies were subsequently routed to a nearby residence on Jala Lake Drive. When the suspect spotted officers, he picked up and threw a shop vacuum into the home’s glass patio door; but was unable to make entry into the home.
A foot pursuit ensued. The suspect was located on the deck of a second residence on Jala Lake Drive. When confronted by officers, he kicked-in the back patio door and was confronted by the homeowner. Officers pursued the suspect into the home. Just before he was taken into custody, Laughter wrapped a pair of blue jeans around a two-foot metal candlestick, to make officers believe that he had a gun. When the ploy did not stop deputies, he fled into the home’s garage, where he was taken into custody after a brief struggle. In an attempt to avoid arrest, Laughter initially gave officers several false names.
