Teen ‘brutally beaten’ and found naked on side of road, SC cops say. Arrests made
A teen was found naked and “brutally beaten” on the side of a road, leading to four arrests in South Carolina, officials said.
A 35-year-old teacher was arrested on multiple drug-related charges after an investigation into the beating, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said Jan. 13 in a news release.
Also in the case, a 36-year-old man was charged with attempted murder. The news release and online court records didn’t list attorney information for the man, identified as Patrick Omar Stevens of North Augusta.
The case dates back to Jan. 3, when a deputy reported finding a 17-year-old “completely unclothed” near an intersection in Beech Island, roughly 75 miles southwest of Columbia. Deputies said “the victim appeared to have been brutally beaten” and was “really hard to understand due to his face being so swollen.”
The teen reportedly had been left there overnight after he was beaten about a half-mile away in another part of Beech Island. Stevens is accused of having used a pistol to fracture the teen’s face before loading him unconscious into a vehicle and taking him to the road where he was found by deputies.
As officials investigated and carried out search warrants, they reported finding drugs. The 35-year-old teacher was charged with possession of steroids, “possession of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute near a school, and unlawful neglect of a child” after officials said she let a child live in a home with controlled substances.
The teacher was placed on administrative leave, according to the Aiken County Public School District.
“Educators are held to a high standard of professional and personal conduct,” the district told McClatchy News on Jan. 17 in an emailed statement. “Last week’s arrest is certainly upsetting and she will remain on administrative leave pending further investigation.”
Also facing allegations in the Aiken County investigation were:
- A 32-year-old accused of pointing a gun at the teen
- A 62-year-old accused of drug crimes
- Stevens, who faces additional charges of kidnapping, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, drug possession and child neglect
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 9:35 AM with the headline "Teen ‘brutally beaten’ and found naked on side of road, SC cops say. Arrests made."
