13 arrested, two dogs rescued as officers bust dogfight in Richland County

Thirteen people were arrested and two dogs were rescued Saturday night after South Carolina law enforcement agencies descended on a dogfight in Richland County, according to a news release.

Authorities also seized $84,000 in cash, according to a statement from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

The thirteen people arrested on April 20 were charged with animal fighting and baiting. The dogs were taken to an emergency veterinarian for treatment, according to SLED.

Saturday’s bust was a joint operation between SLED and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

“It was another successful example of when two agencies work together,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told The State Media Co. “Dogfighting is serious business, normally we see drugs and violence associated with it.”

It is the largest number of arrests in any dogfighting bust in South Carolina since more than 20 people were arrested and 305 dogs were rescued in October 2022. In that operation, state and federal law enforcement officers executed 23 search warrants at locations across Richland, York, Orangeburg, Clarendon, Lee, and Sumter counties.

Last fall, 120 dogs were rescued in coordinated busts that took place across the Midlands and Upstate South Carolina. Law enforcement authorities did not disclose at the time whether there were any arrests.

The majority of the individuals charged following Saturday’s bust are from the Midlands and the I-77 corridor, while one defendant is from northeast Georgia. All were taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

Below is complete list of those charged following the bust:

• Kenyata Jermaine Massey, 45, of Lancaster, SC
• LaCharles Terrel Beatty, 32, of Richburg, SC
• Eddrick Twitty, 44, of Heath Springs, SC
• Howard Cockrell, 27, of Chester, SC
• Carl Montero Brown, 23, of Chester, SC
• Eric Deon Todd, 35, of Blythewood, SC
• Kevin Breon Pickett, 36, of Richburg, SC
• Daryl Bowman, 29, of Columbia, SC
• Kareem Witherspoon, 48, of Heath Springs, SC
• Glenn Housel, 51, of Newberry, SC
• Patrick Heard, 45, of Elberton, GA
• Kareem Lann, 25, of Chester, SC
• Lataruis Antwan Robinson, 42, of Fort Lawn, SC

This is a breaking news story. Check back here for updates.