Sharp-eyed Jeweler Helps Cops

These items were selected from several hundred Mount Pleasant Police Reports filed recently. All charges are pending and accused parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Sharp-eyed Jeweler Helps Cops

An observant jewelry store employee helped lead Mount Pleasant police to a suspected jewel thief who police believe pilfered nearly $10,000 in property from a Mount Pleasant victim.

Just a few days before Joshua Daniel Baumgartner walked into with a rare diamond-encrusted broach, Mount Pleasant detectives had warned jewelers and pawn shops to be on the lookout for the apparently stolen item, according to reports.

Brandon Burke, the jewelry store employee, immediately noticed the flower-shaped broach when Baumgartner tried to sell it.

After Burke called the police, officers caught up with Baumgartner, 26, of North Charleston, just as he was leaving the Belle Hall jewelry store, according to an incident report. After initial denials, the man reportedly admitted that he stole the item from a Brickyard Plantation home.

Police found more allegedly stolen items in the suspect's vehicle. Baumgartner is charged with grand larceny with a value over $10,000, according to court records. He's free on a $15,000 bond.

School Employee Reported for Assault

Mount Pleasant police investigated but will not bring criminal charges against a teacher's aid and bus driver who was caught on video roughing up a student with special needs.

The employee was seen by another teacher and on video grabbing a child by the hand and bending the juvenile's hand far beyond its normal range of motion, the report states.

The employee, who isn't identified by Patch because she is not being charged criminally, apparently dropped the child's hand when a teacher saw the conduct.

The child, who had thrown a "fit" prior to the incident, had reportedly been ordered to time out just prior to boarding the school bus.

The child's mother told police she didn't want the incident prosecuted. The report states that the employee has not been allowed back on campus.

Suspect Steals Charleston Cop's Identity

Identity theft can happen to anyone, and apparently that includes a Charleston Police officer.

A long-time city police officer reported to Mount Pleasant police that one of their suspects had reportedly used his Social Security Number on her booking report back in 2001.

The officer said he does not know the woman, and he only became aware of the incident when he tried to renew his police re-certification and a background check revealed the charge.

WAYS TO CONNECT
Follow Mount Pleasant Patch on Twitter and Facebook for breaking news updates and useful information. Want local news in your inbox daily? Sign up for our daily newsletter.