Two men were able to keep alleged burglars from running off by making sure they had very little to run off in, according to officials.

Carlos Still of 120 Crosby St. and Andrew Evans of 1302 Cannon Bridge Road were forced to take off their clothes after Cordova resident Jerome Williams stopped them with a shotgun, an Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office incident report claims.

Williams said contrary to the report, he didn't use any shotgun. But he and property owner James Goodwin figured the suspects wouldn't try to run away if they were made to strip down to their boxers.

"If they are going to run, let them run with no pants on," said Williams, who alerted Goodwin that his Petunia St. property in Cordova was being burglarized.

Still and Evans have been charged with second-degree burglary. Authorities are looking for a third suspect, according to Sheriff Larry Williams.

"We live in an area where the victim strikes back," the sheriff said. "In the victim's mind, he had been violated. It was his response to demoralize them."

He does not anticipate any charges will be levied against Goodwin or Williams. However, he noted the incident remains under investigation.

Jerome Williams said he called the Sheriff's Office and Goodwin after seeing a green Dodge Neon driving suspiciously around the neighborhood. He said he saw three men look at Goodwin's property and then drive to another property nearby.

From there, Williams saw them walk across a field. Soon after, Williams heard glass breaking.

Williams said he originally planned to block in their car with his truck until authorities arrived.

But the men soon emerged from the residence where Williams and Goodwin were waiting for them, he said.

"They tussled and we got them down," Williams said.

Goodwin said, "I did what I had to do before they got away."

Goodwin's property escaped with only a few broken windows. But his peace of mind is a different story.

"It makes you feel bad when you work hard for what you accomplish and somebody tries to take it away from you," he said.

Goodwin described his neighborhood as a place where everybody looks out for each other.

He also praised Williams for helping him out during this time of crisis.

"He's a good fella," he said.

Still was also charged with receiving stolen property because the license plate on his vehicle was reported stolen, according to officials.

The incident report states that he asked authorities to locate his car keys before being transported to jail. An officer reported finding the keys inside of Goodwin's property.

Still and Evans were allowed to get dressed before being arrested.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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