Crime

Teacher charged with assaulting student resigns his position

Submitted by Nick Needham on Wednesday, April 24th, 11:07 am

Daniel Johns, 35. (Photo courtesy: Rock Hill Police Department)

ROCK HILL, SC (WBTV)- A Rock Hill school teacher has resigned his position after police say he assaulted a student.

Daniel Johns, the school teacher at Rosewood Elementary charged with assault and battery 3rd offense after a student told police Johns grabbed her arm so hard it caused a bruise, has resigned from his position, according to the Rock Hill School District.

His resignation was approved by the school board on April 22nd.

Johns applied for a Pretrial Intervention Program in court earlier this month.

According to a Rock Hill police report, officers were called to Rosewood Elementary at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27th.

That's when officers learned that between 7:30 a.m. and 7:40 a.m. Johns reportedly assaulted a 9-year-old girl.

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Woman accused of killing former mayor found competent to stand trial

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013, 5:26pm

YORK, SC (WBTV)- Prosecutors handling the case of Melvin Roberts, the former Mayor of York, and longtime attorney in town, says the woman accused of killing Roberts has been found competent to stand trial.

It was February 4th, 2010 when Melvin Roberts was found dead in his York driveway. Police say he was strangled and had head trauma.

Three months after the killing, investigators arrested Julia Phillips, Roberts' girlfriend. They say she did it because of money. Phillips maintains her innocence, and her attorney requested a psychiatric evaluation to see if she is competent to stand trial.

Phillips and her attorney requested mental evaluations, which were recently completed.

Prosecutors are hoping to get a trial date for late August.

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Sheriff's Office recommends online system to aid in recovery, return of stolen valuables

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Thursday, March 21st, 2013, 12:12pm

Sheriff's Office recommends online system to aid in recovery, return of stolen valuables

If you or a loved one has ever been a victim of theft, whether from your home or car, there may be a feeling of “I’m never going to see my belongings again.” The York County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with an online service that may help investigators recover stolen valuables back faster if a crook takes them.

Leads-On-line (www.reportit.leadsonline.com) is a FREE online service where citizens and business owners can keep a secure, online record of valuable property. Those who register can store serial numbers, item descriptions, pictures, and scans of receipts so that items may be more easily identified in the event of theft or loss.

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Middle School administrator arrested, charged with sexual exploitation of minors

Submitted by Nick Needham on Friday, March 15th, 3:19 pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- Police in Charlotte have charged an assistant school principal with sexual exploitation of a minor.

Darin Pearson, 32, of Rock Hill is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a news release from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

On Thursday, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department received information from the Metro Nashville Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The information involved Pearson, who was involved in trading child pornography photographs, according to the release.

Police, along with agents from the State Bureau of Investigation searched Pearson's residence.

After the seizure and examination of several electronic devices, evidence was located connecting Pearson to child pornography.

Pearson is an Assistant School Principal with the Sullivan Middle School in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

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Deputies: Heroin, firearms within reach of children in dirty home

Submitted by Nick Needham on Friday, March 15th, 12:48 pm

ROCK HILL, SC (WBTV)- Deputies in York County have arrested four people after they had drugs and firearms in a home where an infant and child lived.

Scott Caldwell, 20, and Jodi Harris, 23, were arrested and charged on Thursday, according to the report from the York County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation began when deputies pulled over a 1998 Nissan Maxima on the 2000 block of Brer Rabbit Run in Rock Hill.

Mark Thompson Jr., 35, of Great Falls, was found to be in possession of half a gram of heroin.

His passenger, Karen Harris, also had a half gram of heroin, according to the report.

Thompson Jr. is charged with possession of heroin third offense and Karen Harris is charged with possession of heroin.

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Report: Mom plotted to purchase, smoke marijuana with teen daughter

Submitted by Nick Needham on Monday, March 11th, 11:36 am

CLOVER, SC (WBTV)- A Clover mother was charged last week after deputies say she planned to help her teen daughter find and smoke marijuana.

The incident was reported on Sunday on the 400 block of Elizabeth Valley Lane, according to the report from the York County Sheriff's Office.

Jennifer Lellani Romero, 36, of Clover, is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to the report.

Deputies were called to the home because Romero and her husband Walter had gotten into an argument over the incident.

Walter, who works out of town, was upset when he returned to learn from his 21-year-old son that his wife had decided to facilitate the smoking of marijuana of their daughter, according to the report.

Deputies say the mother and daughter went to a local tennis court to purchase the marijuana, then drove to McDowell Park in Charlotte to smoke it.

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Off-duty officer pepper sprayed during Craigslist sale of iPhone

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Thursday, February 28th, 2013, 1:21pm

FORT MILL, SC (WBTV)- An off duty Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer was pepper-sprayed by a man while trying to sell his cell phone early Thursday morning.

The incident happened in the parking lot of the Circle K at 252 Carowinds Boulevard around 1:15 a.m. Thursday, according to the report from the York County Sheriff's Office.

It's something police officers warn people to be very careful about, selling something to a person you just met online.

Authorities said the officer went to meet a man to sell his iPhone 4 after he put it up on Craigslist for sale.

The meeting was set for 1 a.m. Thursday morning at the Wendy's restaurant on Carowinds Boulevard right next to the amusement park.

Police said the officer met with two men who said they wanted to buy the phone.

As one of the men held the phone to test it out, he pepper sprayed the officer and took off running toward his car.

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