The night of horror on Orchard Park Trail when Rick and Robin Cofer heard their dog barking. As the Rick Cofer went to investigate he was confronted by three men, who were demanding money.
The men that have been arrested in the heist are cousins Austin Oneil Partlow, 27, and Chauncey Lamar Partlow, 27, both of Gastonia, N.C. and Roy Johnson, 27, of Carlisle.
Sheriff Lee Foster said he doesn't believe the Partlow cousins had been to Newberry before Monday night and that Johnson was the only one with connections to the county.
Sheriff's Office Sgt. Robert Dennis said while Johnson has an address in Carlisle that he also lives in Gastonia with other family members and a girlfriend.
Foster said he is questioning if the trio was looking for someone else and ended up at the wrong house.
As the men broke their way into the home, they began to hit Cofer with a pistol and tied up his handicapped daughter, Crystal Carnes.
The men then began to rummage through the home where they picked up a small amount of money and other valuables, said Sheriff's Office Sgt. Robert Dennis.
Robin Cofer of the victim was able to make her way out of the home and run across Highway 34 to her brother's house and to call 911.
Billy Hunter is able to go to the Cofer's home with his gun and get the robbers to leave.
Foster said witnesses and victims place all three men inside the home.
While Chauncey Partlow ran from the home, Austin Partlow and Johnson left the home in the van, which wrecked and overturned a short distance away.
Chauncey Partlow was caught on Monday night near the home, and Austin was arrested on Tuesday afternoon just inside Fairfield County. Johnson was arrested Tuesday night in Gastonia.
The three were all charged with first degree burglary, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, kidnapping and armed robbery.
Bonds on all three suspects on all the charges except the first degree burglary have been denied. The bond on the burglary charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison and must be heard by a circuit court judge. All three suspects are being held in the Newberry County Detention Center.
In a bond hearing on Thursday morning, Johnson told Magistrate Judge Ron Halfacre that he knew he would not receive a bond in the case.
“I do not deserve this. I am willing to corporate (with law enforcement officers). I rather get it over with,“ said Johnson.
Dennis argued that Johnson was out on bond from an armed robbery in Union County and possession of weapons during a violent crime. He said that Johnson had no ties to Newberry County and in his opinion was a danger to everyone.
Halfacre agreed with Dennis and denied the bond in the case.
Foster says that his office is willing to take Johnson up on his offer of corporation but added he does not know if officers can believe anything that he tells them.
He adds that investigators are still working to learn why the suspects were in Newberry County, why the incident occured and if the robbers were not where they had intended to be or was the invasion random.
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