A South Carolina man who allegedly had a string of run-ins with local law enforcement last week is in custody after police say he attacked and robbed a woman at the Waterfront Place parking garage.
Police first encountered Jamad Shaheed Harris, 42, of Myrtle Beach, on the afternoon of June 19 along the side of Interstate 68.
In a criminal complaint, Monongalia County Deputy Steve Neff said he was alerted to a male having a seizure on the ground outside of his vehicle.
Once on scene, the deputy said he observed a man lying unresponsive on the ground, “as his hysterical nine-year-old daughter watched.” The male was later identified as Harris.
Unable to wake Harris, Neff issued a dose of NARCAN, effectively reviving Harris moments later.
An adult female was also on scene and identified as Amanda M. Carroll, 34, of Myrtle Beach. Carroll, who was reported as the mother of the 9-year-old, allegedly told Neff she was driving the vehicle after the pair had stopped at an unspecified address in Morgantown to purchase fentanyl.
According to the complaint, Carroll said the two came to purchase the drugs “because of it being ‘better’ than what is allegedly available in South Carolina.”
She admitted that she and Harris both “snorted the substance just prior to traveling toward Maryland with their juvenile daughter being the passenger in the back seat,” the complaint said.
Neff described Carroll as having slurred speech, heavy eyelids, dry mouth, and was swaying while speaking with the officer. She showed signs of impairment during a field sobriety test.
Witnesses driving near the vehicle were able to provide written statements and video of Harris and Carroll’s vehicle drifting back and forth in their lane of travel.
At that time, Carroll was arrested for driving under the influence with a minor under age 16. She is currently still in custody at North Central Regional Jail.
Two days later, on June 21, Monongalia County deputies were called to Chestnut Ridge Road after credit cards were stolen from a victim’s vehicle. The alleged thief was described as a 6-foot-tall Black male wearing a white sheet and one of the credit cards had been used at the Little General on Van Voorhis Road.
According to the complaint filed by Deputy Christopher Lough, deputies found and detained a male matching that description, later identified as Harris.
Harris was allegedly found with “a wad of credit cards in his pocket” belonging to the victim.
He was charged with fraud use of a credit card and was released after posting bail.
The following day, June 22, Morgantown Police encountered Harris while responding to a cardiac arrest emergency on the Caperton Trail near the South Walnut Street boat dock.
According to complaints filed by MPD Patrolman A. Bittner, as officers were administering aid to the cardiac arrest victim, a man later identified as Harris approached the officers from the rear.
“I was able to turn around and observe Harris approaching very fast down the hill toward officers with his right hand inside of his brown coat,” Bittner said. “Harris then stumbled on some rocks as he was running, and I observed him catch his fall while holding a camo-handle steel knife in his right hand.”
Harris allegedly continued to approach the officers with the knife in his hand, which forced the officers to direct their attention toward him and hindered them from aiding the medical emergency victim and EMS.
Harris was arrested and charged with misdemeanor obstruction and brandishing a deadly weapon and released on a personal recognizance bond.
After his release, Patrolman Bittner encountered Harris again later that day after a female victim reported being attacked in the stairwell of the parking garage at Waterfront Place.
The victim told officers she was grabbed by a male as she entered the stairwell. She said when she began to yell the man grabbed her arm, so in self-defense she struck him with her water bottle, causing him to let go.
During the assault, the victim dropped her phone and as she bent down to get it, her attacker grabbed the keys to her Ford Expedition and ran away, stating “not to call the cops,” the complaint said.
The description of the robbery suspect was an exact match for Harris — who Bittner had just arrested earlier that day, wearing the same clothing.
According to the complaint, Harris was located that evening walking on Holland Avenue in Westover. He allegedly denied any involvement in the parking garage robbery. However, police called the victim — who was able to recall specific details about her attacker’s clothing, which matched what Harris was wearing.
Harris was placed under arrest for robbery in the second degree. He is also now facing gross child neglect charges for the June 19 overdose incident on I-68.
He is currently being held at North Central Regional Jail. Bond for the second-degree robbery charge was set at $50,000. Bond for the child neglect charge was set at $25,000. Bittner is currently scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 3.
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