Hilton Head man charged with attempted theft of plane, jewelry
.jpg "A 25-year-old Hilton Head Island man was arrested Friday, accused of trying to steal an airplane and burglarizing a Hilton Head jewelry store in separate incidents in September, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.")
A 25-year-old Hilton Head Island man was arrested Friday, accused of trying to steal an airplane and burglarizing a Hilton Head jewelry store in separate incidents in September, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The man has been charged with attempted grand larceny, second-degree burglary and malicious injury to property.
According to a Sheriff’s Office news release, investigators identified the man using DNA samples of blood found at two crime scenes: a ransacked Cessna 414 at Signature Flight Services and the Gem and Jewelry store on Mathews Drive.
On Sept. 18, the owner of the private plane reported finding about $7,000 worth of damage inside his aircraft, the Sheriff’s Office said. The owner also noted the plane seemed to have been prepared for flight, with the wheel blocks removed and some flight controls activated.
On Sept. 28, deputies responding to an alarm at the jewelry store found a window smashed but nothing was stolen, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The blood samples taken from both scenes matched and pointed to the man, the Sheriff’s Office news release said. Investigators do not believe anyone else was involved in the incidents.
The man remained at the Beaufort County Detention Center on Monday with bond set at $95,000.
This story was originally published November 17, 2014 at 5:06 PM.