Update 7 PM Thursday- A suspect and the woman with him during his crime spree in Northern Greenville County, are now in custody. The Sheriff's Office says the two were located walking on West Drive in Marietta, Thursday evening. Deputies say they learned later in the process that the woman 36-year-old Tiffany Ann Mercer was a willing participant and both have been charged.
The large police presence in Northern Greenville County this afternoon, is a search for a suspect who reportedly held a woman at gunpoint. The Sheriff's Office says the suspect, 37 year old Matthew Edward McNicholas, also carjacked a bystander and broke into home.
37 year old Matthew Edward McNicholasGreenville County Sheriff
Deputies responded to the area of Birch Street ibn Marietta around 3PM. There they encountered McNicholas who was armed with a gun and came out of the home holding a woman hostage. He then fled the scene with the woman in a vehicle.
McNicholas then crashed the vehicle on Tugaloo Road in Travelers Rest and allegedly tried to steal another vehicle. He and the believed hostage then broke into a home there. Deputies tracked Mcnicholas to the home but when they made entry, they discovered that he and the woman were gone.
A search has since ensued for the suspect. He is considered armed and dangerous and is wanted on a list of charges.
