Man arrested after manhunt in West Columbia Tuesday

West Columbia, SC (Paul Kirby) – A man has been arrested after a manhunt involving officers from the West Columbia Police Department and Lexington County Sheriff’s deputies. He is suspected of stealing a car at the Lizard’s Thicket off I-26 on Sunset Boulevard in the City of West Columbia. The suspect was taken into custody after a manhunt that ended in a wooded area in the 700 block of Sunset.

The man had stolen the car earlier in the day. Later, an officer spotted a vehicle matching the description of the stolen car at the Riverbend Apartment Complex. When the officer approached, a white male jumped out and began to run on foot. The officer gave chase but eventually lost site of the man.

Eventually, officers narrowed down his location to the vicinity of Mid-Carolina Marine on Sunset Boulevard. Officers and deputies established a perimeter in the area trying to box him in. K-9s from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department were tracking the man who was now running with one shoe on after losing the other at some point. The suspect crossed behind a business and its employees spotted him. They quickly notified officers, and within a short time, the man was located in a wooded area and taken into custody.

Kenneth Ray Wooten, 42, of Swansea, was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny and Breaking into a Motor Vehicle.

A spokesman for the West Columbia Police Department said they would like to thank the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office for the quick response and the use of their K9 unit. Without their assistance the suspect may have not been apprehended.

The suspect will be held at the Lexington County Detention Center.