Photo Gallery | Deputies:Two arrested for stealing metal items from home

Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested a 59-year-old Lexington man and 48-year-old Columbia man on Monday, January 14th on charges that the two men stole window screens and other metal items from an unoccupied home that was for sale on U.S. 378 near Lexington and later attempted to sell the metal items for recycling at a Lexington business.

Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said deputies and detectives obtained arrest warrants for Julius Peter Gaye, 59, of 116 Simmons Road, Lexington, and Ulysses Devon Hampton, 48, of 1527 Jerome Drive, Columbia. Gaye was arrested on charges of petit larceny and possessing crack cocaine. Hampton was arrested on a charge of petit larceny.

Gaye was being held on Tuesday, January 15 at the Lexington County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond, Metts said. Hampton was released from the Detention Center on Tuesday on a $2,130 personal recognizance bond.

Deputies went to the unoccupied home that is for sale on U.S. 378 at about 1:30 p.m. on Monday in response to a call concerning the active theft of metal items from the residence, Metts said. Detectives received information that a white pickup truck was seen driving away from the area with the cargo bed full of metal items.

Detective Michael Wilfong drove to CMC Recycling at 2308 Two Notch Road near Lexington in an effort to locate the white pickup truck, Metts said. Wilfong found Gaye and Hampton unloading metal items from Gaye’s white 1986 Isuzu Pup pickup truck at the metal dump site at the metal recycling company.                                                                                               

Wilfong and Detective Jason Burbage determined that Gaye and Hampton did not have permission from the persons who own the home on U.S. 378 to take five large aluminum window screens, one large strip of aluminum siding, one frying pan and one aluminum folding lounge chair from the residence, Metts said. Deputies then arrested Gaye and Hampton.

While searching Gaye’s person incident to his arrest, Master Deputy James Kemfort found a plastic bag in a baseball cap that Gaye had on his head, Metts said. The plastic bag contained crack cocaine.

Metts requests that anyone with information about additional criminal activity involving Gaye or Hampton to contact the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department at (803) 785-8230 or CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. Citizens also can provide information anonymously by accessing the Crime Tip link on the Sheriff’s Department web site (www.lexingtonsheriff.com).