In Lexington County a bizarre chain of events unfolded on Saturday. A teenager is now behind bars after deputies say he kidnapped, robbed and pistol-whipped a cab driver.
Early Saturday morning an off-duty deputy noticed a Yellow Cab swerving on and off the road, in Lexington County. That deputy called for assistance. And while he wanted, he kept a close eye on the suspicious vehicle.
"Two deputies were sent to check out the cab," said Lexington County Sheriff James Metts.
Metts says when the deputies arrived, they quickly discovered this was not your ordinary traffic stop.
"When they started investigating they found out that the cab driver had been carjacked, and had been beaten upside the head because he had blood all over him," said Metts.
Investigators say the man responsible for this heinous crime is 19-year-old Michael Wolfe. Officials say not only did the teen beat and rob the cab driver, but he kidnapped him and went on a joyride; all while the man sat in the passenger seat seriously injured.
"Its very disturbing," said Metts. "Especially when you have a situation that lasted as long as this one did. Because it went on for about three-and-a-half hours."
Sheriff Metts says if the deputy wasn't at the right place at the right time, things could've been even worse.
"This individual (Wolfe) made the cab driver get out of the car and made him get on his knees, and he put the gun to his head," said Metts. "So we don't know if he would have eventually taken his life or what would have happened if the deputy hadn't acted the way he did."
It was a brutal crime that rattled the community.
"This is a very unsettling situation to have occur in the county."
Michael Wolfe is currently being held at the Lexington County Detention Center on $500,000 bond.
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