COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Richland County Sheriff's Department has arrested a man in connection to the vandalism of the home of a Ft. Jackson soldier charged in connection with a viral video.
Richland County deputies said Tuesday they charged a 25-year-old man with malicious injury to real property and breach of peace in the April 14 incident.
The vandalism happened after a day of protests at the home of Jonathan Pentland in the Summit neighborhood. A viral video showed Pentland in a hostile exchange with a young man in Columbia's Summit neighborhood in early April.
Pentland was later charged with assault and battery third degree. Fort Jackson has suspended him from duty.
In the days after the video went viral, protests began in the community, and became disruptive when someone vandalized Pentland's home on April 14.
Deputies say In cell phone video of the incident, the suspect is seen using a baseball bat to smash lights on the front of the Pentland home, then throwing the bat into a storm drain. RCSD says the bat was later recovered from the drain and collected as evidence.
The suspect was arrested by Columbia Police around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when there were reports of a person trying to get into a closed business. According to RCSD, the man was identified as the suspect in this case.
“It was the videos, pictures and information from people at the scene that were instrumental in getting Ellis identified and ultimately arrested,” Sheriff Lott said. “The community has shown that they will not tolerate these criminal acts undermining their right to peacefully protest.”
He was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
