15-year-old girl, two men charged in two-state crime spree

15-year-old girl, two men charged in two-state crime spree
Published: Mar. 21, 2014 at 8:35 PM EDT|Updated: Mar. 21, 2014 at 9:40 PM EDT
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RIDGEVILLE, SC (WCSC) - Two men and a 15-year-old girl from Ridgeville are facing charges after authorities say the trio went on a crime spree that began in Dorchester County and ended in Florida

where one of the suspects was shot by a deputy.

Dorchester County deputies say 53-year-old John Parks was terrorized by the suspects, one who was supposed to be his roommate at his home in Ridgeville.

Parks says late Tuesday night the roommate, Donnie Carroll, another man identified as 18-year-old Damonique Gaddist and the 15-year-old girl came over.

Parks went to sleep and awoke to a real life nightmare a few hours later.

 “I woke up about 4:30 or 5 o'clock in the morning, with a shotgun to my head,” Parks recalled.

Dorchester County deputies say Gaddist was holding the shotgun, and Carroll also had a weapon.

"Donnie had a knife. I guess it had to be eight, ten inches long, about two inches wide," said Parks.

"He told the young guy to knock me out. The guy tried to hit me in the face with the shotgun. I threw my hands up and he started beating me in my thigh with the shotgun."

After taking his wallet and debit card, Parks says Carroll ordered him to go into a closet.

Parks says they put a dresser against the door to make sure he stayed there.

“He told the young guy to stand there, watch with the shotgun, and if it  wasn't the right pin number, he was going to come back and kill me."

Thirty five minutes later, realizing the suspects were gone, Parks pushed the closet door open and went to a nearby gas station to call deputies.

But the story was far from over.

Authorities say on Wednesday night, the suspects struck again, driving from Ridgeville down to Yulee, Florida.

Investigators there say Gaddist and Carroll, driving a stolen pickup truck, held up a convenience store and led deputies on a high speed chase.

 “Deputy fired his issued rifle at the vehicle to get him to stop. The other two deputies seeing that the individual was attempting to run over the deputy, so they fired at the vehicle to try to get him to stop,” said Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.

Deputies say the truck stopped at a closed road.

Carroll was wounded in his hand and shoulder. Gaddist and the 15-year-old girl surrendered.

Back in Ridgeville, Parks was happy to hear the suspect had been caught.

He says he now has a new roommate.

"My roommate is the man upstairs so I'm good. He protected me," Parks said.

Caramoll, Gaddist and the 15 year old girl are facing charges in Florida and will also face charges in Dorchester County.

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