Port Royal man who hid in woman’s closet found guilty of burglarizing Beaufort home twice
A Port Royal man who was found hiding in the closet of a Beaufort home he burglarized twice in 10 days is going to prison, according to a Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office news release.
Ben Reed IV, 22, was found guilty by a jury in Beaufort County General Sessions Court on Thursday of two counts of burglary.
Judge Robert E. Hood sentenced Reed to 10 years in prison for the first break-in, which resulted in a second-degree burglary charge, and 17 years for the second break-in, which resulted in a first-degree burglary charge, the release said. The sentences will be served concurrently.
On Nov. 7, 2017, a woman and her daughter left their home around 7 a.m. and returned after 11 p.m. to find the back door of their home open, the release said. The living room television was sitting on the floor near the door, the window above the kitchen sink was open, and several items were missing, including two handguns, two video game consoles, two iPads, a laptop, and a smartwatch.
Reed left a fingerprint at the scene, the release said.
A week and a half later, on Nov. 17, 2017, police found Reed inside the same home, the release said.
Neighbors called police around 1 a.m. when they saw a flashlight beam inside the same home, the release said.
When police arrived, they saw someone closing the backdoor and retreating inside the home, the release said. Officers found Reed hiding inside a closet wearing a pair of Nike shoes he’d stolen during the first burglary, the release said.
Reed has previously been convicted for simple possession of marijuana, shoplifting, possession of alcohol, possession of a stolen vehicle and receiving stolen goods.
