FOREST ACRES, S.C. — The suspect who triggered a massive manhunt in Forest Acres is in the Charleston area.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and U.S. Marshals have information that 29-year-old Samuel Levone Neathery is in that area. They say they still consider him armed and dangerous.
Authorities spent most Tuesday searching for the armed suspect, who escaped after say robbed a bank on Forest Drive with a woman.
Neathery has been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database with a warrant for his arrest in Forest Acres, according to Sealy.
Sealy says he is hopeful that Neathery's female accomplice, who was shot while trying to escape on Tuesday, will be released from a local hospital soon. The woman was apprehended by police after a car crash on Forest Drive Tuesday.
Sealy says it all began when his officers responded to S.C. Federal Credit Union on Forest Drive around 9:50 a.m. Tuesday based on reports of two armed suspects.
As they arrived at the bank, Sealy says one of the suspects, a woman, was exiting the bank. The suspect refused to comply with officers and continued to try and drive away. Officers fired two shots at the suspect, who crashed her Toyota Camry into a pickup truck as she exited the parking lot onto Forest Drive, Sealy said.
The suspect was removed from the car and transported to a local hospital for a gunshot wound that does not appear to be life threatening, according to Sealy. The woman was found to be armed and had a backpack full of money, he said.
Neathery ran back into the bank, and apparently exited out of the back. Sealy said police have recovered what they believe to be the hoodie he was wearing.
Neathery is from Florida, and served a 9-year prison term for a robbery conviction. He got out last in May of last year. He's described as 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. Officers do not believe he has connections to the Columbia region.
Body cam images show a clear picture of how he looks now, which is different than his old Florida prisons photo.
Columbia police, Richland County deputies and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) assisted with the search Tuesday, which included a helicopter, bloodhounds, and K-9s.
Forest Drive was closed between Clemson Avenue and Trenholm Road while officials searched for an armed bank robbery suspect, but the road has since reopened.
Crayton Middle, Satchel Ford Elementary, Bradley Elementary and Brockman Elementary--all school in the area-- were put on lockdown as officers searched. After briefly holding bus riders and student who walk from dismissal, the district all students to go home. A.C. Flora High was not put on lockdown, but its dismissal was also affected because bus routes go through the same area.
The car driven by the first suspect was stolen out of Georgia, according to Sealy, but additional information is limited at this time.
No bank employees were hurt in the robbery, although employees are said to be shaken up.
The S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating the officer-involved shooting of the female suspect.
If you see Neathery or have any information about the bank robbery, police ask you to contact Forest acres police at (803) 782-9444 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously in any of the following ways:
- Call 888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372).
- Use the P3 Tips mobile app.
- LOG ON to www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a Tip” tab.
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