Teen Arrested for Two Home Burglaries Near Lake Murray

Detectives with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department have arrested an 18-year-old man they say broke into two homes near Lake Murray while the homeowners were still inside.

Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said Zachary Alexander Kinard, 18, was arrested Tuesday at his mother’s home on West Passage near Irmo and charged with two counts of first-degree burglary.

An arrest warrant alleges that around 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 25, 2011, Kinard entered an unlocked home and stole the homeowner’s wallet and jewelry from a bedroom where the homeowner was sleeping. The homeowner awoke to find Kinard in his bedroom and called 911.

That same day, around 5 a.m. Kinard allegedly broke into a home on West Passage near the home where he lived with his mother in the Wexford on the Lake subdivision, Metts said.

The owner of that home was asleep and was awaken by Kinard before calling 911.  

Police say Kinard stole cash, jewelry and rare silver coins from the West Passage residence.

Detectives say they found a plastic bag in Kinard’s bedroom that contained about 85 rare silver coins some of which dated back to the ‘20s and ‘50s.

The coins were similar to the rare silver coins that the West Passage homeowner reported stolen, Metts said.

Detectives later recovered a glove from under bushes near the rear door of the West Passage residence, Metts said.

Detectives say Kinard broke into the home through the rear door.

A DNA analysis conducted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division determined samples taken from the glove matched Kinard’s DNA, according to the sheriff’s department.

Kinard is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center while awaiting a bond hearing.