By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal

goliver@upstatetoday.com

COUNTY — Two people suspected in a Pickens County carjacking on Wednesday are now in police custody.

[cointent_lockedcontent]According to Pickens County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy Creed Hashe, Johnathan Charles Bridges and Billi Joe Garrett were arrested by the Travelers Rest Police Department and each face a charge of carjacking in Pickens County.

Bridges, 39, of 131 Von Hollen Drive in Easley, was taken into custody late Thursday afternoon, according to Hashe.

Garrett, 39, of 112 Hodgens Road in Travelers Rest, was arrested Wednesday night for an offense that occurred in Travelers Rest, Hashe said.

Hashe announced Friday that Bridges also faces charges of possession of a weapon during a violent crime and grand larceny, while Garrett faces an additional charge of grand larceny.

Bridges is being held at the Pickens County Detention Center, while Garrett was still being held in Greenville County on Tuesday and will be formally charged by Pickens County authorities upon her release.

Police released photos of the two to the public on Wednesday and received numerous leads throughout the night and following day, Hashe said.

When asking for the public’s help to identify the suspects, Hashe said the two stole a vehicle Wednesday morning after threatening the driver with a knife and forcing her to surrender her car.

Surveillance camera photos of the couple were recovered from a convenience store in Greenville County, where an attempt was made to use the victim’s debit card shortly after the carjacking.

Hashe said the incident took place at approximately 8:30 a.m. when the owner of a gold 2005 Mazda 3 was approached by a man and a woman outside a business on Calhoun Memorial Highway. The couple told the victim they needed a ride due to the female being pregnant.

The vehicle owner allowed the pair to get into her car and drove them to an area of Waverly Drive in Pickens County. After arriving there, Hashe said the man ordered the victim out of her car after threatening her with a knife.

After the victim exited her vehicle, the chief deputy said the male and female drove away, leaving the victim standing on the side of the road. The victim, who was not injured during the encounter, had not been allowed to gather her purse and other belongings that were inside the vehicle.

Hashe said the man and woman attempted to use the victim’s debit card soon after driving away from the scene of the carjacking.

“Nothing is more exciting than to see this type of teamwork between law enforcement agencies, the public and our local media,” Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark said. “Several jurisdictions have recent experience with these two individuals, and to get them captured before someone gets hurt is a blessing.

“Several law enforcement agencies came together today to work this investigation and through the media’s assistance and the information provided by numerous citizens, we were able to identify and track them down.

“I want to personally thank everyone that contributed to getting these people off our streets, and let this be a message to anyone considering a life of crime — think twice, because the good people of South Carolina are no longer going to stand by and allow you to victimize the innocent.”

[/cointent_lockedcontent]