Deputies: Man drove through crime scene with stolen goods

A Florence man was arrested Wednesday after deputies said he drove through a crime scene with a load of stolen goods, Florence County Sheriff’s Lt. Brett Camp said.

Woodrow Brown, 52, of 1032 Middleton St., is charged with grand larceny-value more than $1,000 but less than $5,000, first-offense driving under suspension (license not suspended for DUI), use of a license plate on a vehicle other than the vehicle for which a plate was issued, first-offense operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and operating or permitting the operation of an unlawfully registered and licensed vehicle, Florence County Detention Center bookings reports show.

Deputies said the suspect took $1,000 in metal from a Quinby fabrication company about 1 a.m. Wednesday and loaded it on the back of his truck, Camp said.

The suspect then turned down Malloy Street, where authorities were searching for the body of 69-year-old Willie Mae Hayes.

Several officers were on the scene monitoring traffic on the dirt road when they stopped the vehicle, Camp said.

They questioned the suspect about where he was going at 2 a.m. with that much metal and arrested him when his story didn’t add up, the lieutenant said.

Brown was released from the jail in Effingham on Thursday, but bond information wasn’t available.