Aiken, SC (7 December 2020, 2:17 pm) – Early Sunday morning, December 6th, around 4:40 am, 911 caller alerted authorities of a fully involved house fire at 2966 Columbia Hwy North. Fire crews with Center Fire Department extinguished the fire and notified law enforcement after determining that the fire was suspicious in nature. The fire department crews did not find any victims inside or near the home, nor the homeowner. Investigators with Aiken County Sheriff’s Office were called to the home where they initiated an investigation into the origin and cause of the fire.
Around 10:15 am, a second caller notified the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center of a found deceased person in a field near 1297 Cummings Road in Ridge Springs, SC. When deputies arrived on scene, with the assistance of the witness, they located an unresponsive Black male who was lying face down with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the back of his head and blood on his body. The witness informed deputies that he found the male while he was putting out corn and then called for help. Investigators and the Aiken County Coroner’s Office were called to the scene. Investigators later determined that the found victim was associated with the fire at 2966 Columbia Highway N and that his personal vehicle, a white in color 2016 Kia Forte was missing
This morning, December 7th, around 6:17 am, deputies spotted a white in color Kia Forte traveling on Audubon Circle in Belvedere make a left turn onto Bordeaux Street where they conducted a traffic stop. The driver, Dominique Johnson (29) and the passenger, Robert Day III (24) of Ridge Spring were detained and the vehicle was identified as the missing vehicle from the previous day. Both suspects were taken to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office for questioning and the vehicle was seized as evidence. Johnson and Day were later taken to the Aiken County Detention Center where Johnson was booked on outstanding arrest warrant for Grand Larceny and is expected to be charged with Murder. Day is expected to be charged with Accessory after the Fact to Murder. Additional charges are forthcoming. This is an on-going investigation as more information becomes available it will be released.
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