Crime & Safety

Three Men Arrested During Traffic Stop

Two of the men were charged with assault and battery, kidnapping and armed robbery.

Richland County Sheriff's deputies arrested three men after they found a gun and a wallet in their car during a traffic stop Wednesday. 

Deputies say the three men confessed to robbing a victim at the Palmetto Inn at 421 Bush River Road.

Clarence Leonard III, 19, and Quainelius Rochon, 23, were both charged with first degree assault and battery, kidnapping and armed robbery.

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Leonard also was charged for having an uninsured vehicle. 

Michael Bass, 22, was charged with failure to give or giving improper signal.

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During the traffic stop, deputies noticed a gun in the car. After searching the three men, they found the victim's wallet on Leonard. The three men were questioned and arrested. 

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