Teens arrested for targeting Hilton Head & Bluffton restaurants in burglaries
Three Jasper County teenagers were arrested and charged as adults Tuesday following a string of burglaries that targeted Hispanic restaurants in the Hilton Head and Bluffton areas, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Pape Niang, 17, Mohamed Mbengue, 18, and Cheikh Niang, 19, were charged with second degree burglary and remain in the Beaufort County Detention Center.
Investigators revealed that the teenagers were targeting local Hispanic restaurants, hitting Santa Fe Café, Carlitos Mexican Bar & Grill and Fiesta Fresh Mexican Grill, and are continuing to examine whether they may be connected to other recent burglaries.
The felony charge, as defined in South Carolina law, alleges the accused entered a building with intent to commit a crime while armed with a deadly weapon, causing injury, using threats or displaying a weapon, punishable by no more than 15 years. Niang was also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Additional charges in the jail log suggest that the teenagers are being accused of stealing less than $2,000 at each of the locations.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 4:23 PM.
