Man sentenced to prison after robbing several restaurants including Waffle House, officials say (2024)

WYFF NEWS FOUR AT SIX STARTS RIGHT NOW. TWO REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES ARE MAKING ANOTHER PITCH TO VOTERS AS THEY MEET IN A RUNOFF, LOOKING TO FILL THE SEAT OF AN OUTGOING INCUMBENT WHEN HE ENTERED THAT HOUSE, COBA PUT HIMSELF IN BETWEEN US AND EVEN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA, TAKING TIME TODAY TO REMEMBER THE SERVICE OF A K-9 OFFICER THAT DIED WHILE ON THE JOB. TEAM MEMBERS CALLING THE CANINE A HERO. A LOT OF HEAT HEADED OUR WAY THIS WEEKEND. EXACTLY HOW HOT YOUR WEEKEND IS GOING TO GET AHEAD IN YOUR FORECAST. ANTHONY PHOENIX HERE IN SIMPSONVILLE AT THE THIRD ANNUAL FREEDOM RIDE CAR AND BIKE SHOW, WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DAY AND WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE EVENT. AS SOUTH CAROLINA RUNOFFS NEAR AND EARLY VOTING STARTS TODAY. WE’RE TALKING WITH CANDIDATES ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO YOU BETTER PREPARING YOU FOR THE BALLOT BOX. TODAY, OUR PEYTON FURTADO SPOKE WITH TWO CANDIDATES IN A RACE AFFECTING 11 COUNTIES IN OUR REGION. SHE IS JOINING US LIVE WITH MORE ABOUT THE U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT THREE RUNOFF. PEYTON, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? RASHAD THE STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER. LIKE YOU SAID, WHOEVER WINS THIS RACE IS GOING TO REPRESENT 11 DIFFERENT COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THAT’S MORE THAN 732,000 PEOPLE. MOST OF THOSE VOTERS HERE IN THE UPSTATE, MARK BURNS AND CHERI BIGGS, LED A FIELD OF SEVEN REPUBLICANS IN THIS INCUMBENT LIST PRIMARY BURNS RECEIVING 33%. BIG SECURING NEARLY 29. MARK BURNS WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE UPSTATE. THE PASTOR HAS BEEN CALLED TRUMP’S PIT BULL AND WAS THE ONLY CANDIDATE TO RECEIVE A TRUMP ENDORsem*nT IN THIS RACE. I HAVE THE SAME POLICIES THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS. THAT’S WHY HE VETTED ME. HE TRUSTED ME AND HE ENDORSED ME. AND THAT’S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHERI BIGGS AND MARK BURNS. CHERI BIGGS IS IN THE NATIONAL GUARD AND WORKS AS A MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER. SO WITH MY HEALTH CARE BACKGROUND AND MY WORK AS AN ADMINISTRATOR, I KNOW ABOUT BALANCING BUDGETS. I KNOW ABOUT WORKING WITHIN STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS. I UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN OUR DISTRICT, BOTH CANDIDATES SAY A VOTE FOR THEM MEANS CLOSING THE BORDER AND STOPPING OVERSPENDING IN CONGRESS. WITH HER BACKGROUND IN THE MILITARY AND MENTAL HEALTH, BIGGS SAYS MORE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES ARE NEEDED IN THIS REGION, ESPECIALLY FOR VETERANS, OUR VETERANS AND MILITARY MEMBERS THAT AREN’T GETTING THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED YET. WE’RE TAKING CARE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. IT’S UNHEARD OF, BYRNE SAYS. INFLATION IS AFFECTING HOW PEOPLE IN THIS REGION FEED THEIR FAMILIES. HE’S FOCUSED ON MAKING THE U.S. ENERGY INDEPENDENT, BANKRUPTING IRAN, BANKRUPTING RUSSIA, RIGHT. AND TO LOWER THE COST OF ENERGY, THE COST OF FOOD, THE COST OF GAS, THESE THINGS ARE TRULY HURTING THE POCKETBOOKS OF OUR CITIZENS HERE IN THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. PAYTON, I KNOW YOU’RE LIVE WITH US IN PICKENS COUNTY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER CANDIDATES VOTERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF COME THIS RUNOFF ON TUESDAY? YEAH, CAROL, THERE ARE LOTS OF THEM. YOU COULD LOOK AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS IN JUST ABOUT EVERY COUNTY IN OUR VIEWING AREA, SPECIFICALLY HERE IN PICKENS COUNTY. ONE RACE I THINK IS INTERESTING IS THE SHERIFF’S RACE. TOMMY BLANKENSHIP AND CHUCK JAMES ARE BOTH RUNNING FOR THAT IN THE RUNOFFS NEXT TUESDAY. THIS IS GOING TO BE ONLY THE THIRD SHERIFF THAT PICKENS COUNTY HAS HAD IN THE LAST 56 YEARS, LIVE IN PICKENS COUNTY. I’M PEYTON FURTADO FOR WHY NEWS FOUR. THANKS, PEYTON FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA RUNOFFS AND YESTERDAY’S GEORGIA RUNOFFS, YOU CAN TURN TO WYFF 4.COM OR OUR MOBILE APP. JUST LOOK ON OUR HOME PAGE AND THE COMMITMENT 2024 TAB. ALL RIGHT. LET’S TAKE YOU OUTSIDE NOW FOR A LIVE LOOK FROM LAKE HARTWELL. CAROL, THIS SEEMS TO BE THE PLACE TO BE BEFORE IT GETS DARK TONIGHT. YEAH, UNLESS SOME CLOUDS MOVING INTO THE METEOROLOGIST GRIFFIN HARDY IS IN FOR CHRIS TONIGHT. GRIFFIN. HOW DOES THE REST OF THE NIGHT LOOK? WELL, IT LOOKS PRETTY QUIET TEMPERATURE WISE. WE’RE SITTING OKAY RIGHT NOW FOR MID JUNE MID TO UPPER 80S. THAT’S PRETTY COMFORTABLE. PRETTY CLOSE TO AVERAGE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. AND IT’S EVEN COOLER IN THE MOUNTAINS. OF COURSE WITH 75 IN CULLOWHEE, 79 IN ASHEVILLE, 80 IN HENDERSONVILLE, NORTHEAST GEORGIA YOU’VE GOT LOW TO MID 80S AS WELL. ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT. LAKE HARTWELL SKYCAM YEAH, IT’S GETTING A LITTLE BIT CLOUDIER OUTSIDE, BUT WE ARE NOT EXPECTING ANY RAIN THIS EVENING. THE DEW POINTS ARE STILL RELATIVELY LOW IN THE LOW 60S RIGHT NOW. AND THAT NORTHEAST WIND IS KIND OF HELPING OUT WITH THAT, BRINGING DRIER AIR OUR WAY. SO NO RAIN SHOWING UP ON SATELLITE RADAR, JUST SOME CLOUDS ROLLING OVERHEAD FARTHER TO THE SOUTHWEST, THOUGH IN TEXAS THEY’RE DEALING WITH TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO, THE OUTER BANDS OF. AT LEAST WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE FULL FORECAST, BUT AT LEAST FOR NOW, HERE’S THE 12 HOUR FORECAST BACK HERE AT HOME. UPPER 70S BY 9 P.M. IN THE UPSTATE, LOW 70S BY MIDNIGHT. AND BECAUSE OF THAT LOW HUMIDITY, IT’S GOING TO BE A LITTLE COOL IN THE MORNING WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S AND MID TO LOWER 60S ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA EARLY TOMORROW MORNING, WITH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES OVERNIGHT TONIGHT GETTING HOTTER THIS WEEKEND. LOW 90S FRIDAY MID 90S ON SATURDAY. HOW LONG THAT HEAT LASTS. COMING UP NEXT. GRIFFIN THANK YOU. RIGHT RIGHT NOW AUTHORITIES IN GREENVILLE ARE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING THAT LEFT ONE PERSON DEAD. AUTHORITIES TELL US THEY WERE CALLED TO A HOTEL ON ORCHARD PARK DRIVE OVERNIGHT IN REFERENCE TO A PERSON WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS. THE CORONER SAID 22 YEAR OLD ROGERS ROBINSON WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL BUT DIED A SHORT TIME LATER. THE CORONER HAS RULED THE DEATH AS A HOMICIDE AND THERE IS NO WORD YET ON WHAT LED TO THE SHOOTING. GREENWOOD COUNTY DEPUTIES SAY A 17 YEAR OLD IS NOW FACING CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH A DEADLY SHOOTING, ACCORDING TO DEPUTIES. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED ALONG WILSON CREEK ROAD ONE WEEK AGO. INVESTIGATORS TELL US 38 YEAR-OLD CASSIUS SIMMONS WAS FOUND DEAD ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. DEPUTIES TELL US SIMMONS, HER CHILDREN AND THE SUSPECT WERE RIDING IN HER CAR BEFORE THE SHOOTING. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE CHILDREN WERE LET OUT OF THE CAR. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED AND THE SUSPECT DROVE OFF WITH THE CAR. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS. 17 YEAR OLD MONICA GRIFFIN OF GREENVILLE IS FACING MULTIPLE CHARGES. LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM ACROSS THE STATE TOOK TIME THIS MORNING TO REMEMBER A SLED CANINE THAT WAS SHOT AND KILLED WHILE ON THE JOB. EARLIER TODAY, A MEMORIAL SERVICE WAS HELD IN COLUMBIA AT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMY FOR CANINE KOBE. THE DOG WAS PART OF A TEAM FROM SLED AND THE NEWBERRY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE THAT WAS ATTEMPTING TO SERVE A WARRANT. DURING THE INCIDENT, SHOTS WERE FIRED AND KOBE WAS HIT. EVIL DIDN’T WIN THAT DAY BECAUSE KOBE WAS THERE TO PROTECT HIS TEAMMATES. KOBE JOINED SLED IN 2021 AND SERVED ON SLED, SWAT AND CANINE TRACKING TEAMS. WELL, TODAY IS JUNETEENTH AND CELEBRATIONS ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN THE UPSTATE. IN SIMPSONVILLE, THEY ARE HAVING THEIR THIRD ANNUAL CHARITY FREEDOM RIDE CAR AND BIKE SHOW ARE TANIQUA. PENNIX JOINS US LIVE FROM REEDY FORK COMMUNITY PARK WITH A LOOK AT THE TURNOUT. WELL GOOD EVENING. IT’S A FREEDOM RIDE CAR AND BIKE SHOW, SO OF COURSE I HAVE TO BE IN A CAR NOW. THIS CAR IS BASED OFF THE MOVIE FAST AND FURIOUS, AND A FEW OTHER CARS ARE LINED UP TO BE COMPETING TO SEE WHO IS THE WINNER. AND OF COURSE, IT’S ALL FRIENDLY COMPETITION AND THE MOTORCYCLES WILL BE MAKING THEIR WAY HERE PRETTY SOON. AND TODAY IS JUST A FUN WAY TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH AND REMEMBER WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. JUNETEENTH IS ABOUT OUR FREEDOM. IT’S ABOUT EMANCIPATION. YOU KNOW, AND WE WANT TO COMMEMORATE THAT ON TODAY. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO COMMEMORATE IN UNITY AND COLLABORATION, BECAUSE THE COLLABORATION OF NETWORKING, THE COLLABORATION OF HAVING RESOURCES, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IN OUR BLACK COMMUNITY OR ANY COMMUNITY THAT WE ABIDE IN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE COLLABORATION. YOU HAVE TO HAVE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO THRIVE. AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE OUR ANCESTORS PROUD, AND WE WANT TO MAKE OUR ANCESTORS GREAT. AND IT’S STILL EARLY, SO THERE’S A LOT MORE TO SEE. THIS EVENT WILL GO ON UNTIL 9:00 TONIGHT. FOR NOW, REPORTING LIVE IN SIMPSONVILLE, TANIQUA PENNIX WIFE NEWS FOUR. ALL RIGHT. TANIQUA. THANK YOU. JUST MAKE SURE YOU PUT YOUR SEATBELT ON IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE OFF, THERE WILL. BLACK HISTORY WAS ON DISPLAY FOR STUDENTS IN GREENVILLE THIS AFTERNOON FOR TRAVELING HISTORY EXHIBIT. STUDENTS WERE INVITED TO TAKE A TOUR OF THE FREE EXHIBIT INSIDE THE UPSTATE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS SCHOOL IN GREENVILLE. THE DISPLAY IS CURATED BY THE UNITED CROWNS FOUNDATION AND HAS AN ARRAY OF ARTIFACTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AFRICA. BLACK ARTISTS AND ATHLETES WERE CELEBRATED. IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM, IT’S VERY HARD TO GET TO WHERE YOU’RE GOING. SO THAT’S WHY I MADE IT. PART OF MY LIFE’S MISSION IS MY ACTUALLY MY PASSION TO GO AROUND AND TALK TO YOUTH ABOUT THEIR HISTORY OR ANYBODY OF ANY AGE ABOUT THEIR HISTORY, AND ESPECIALLY BLACK HISTORY. THE EXHIBIT WILL BE ON DISPLAY AGAIN TOMORROW STARTING AT 9 A.M. GREENVILLE. THIRD ANNUAL JUNETEENTH PARADE AND CELEBRATION WAS HELD AT UNITY PARK TODAY. THE PARADE WENT DOWN THE SWAMP RABBIT TRAIL FROM FALLS PARK TO UNITY PARK. IT’S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE OF THE UPSTATE, THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SECTION OF NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN, AND THE NAACP. THERE WERE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SPEAKERS, FOLLOWED BY