Teenager wanted on murder charge arrested in Richland County, SC cops say

Noah Feit
·2 min read

A South Carolina teenager wanted for murder and other charges was arrested in Richland County Sunday, according to the Aiken Department of Public Safety.

After being taken into custody by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Antonio Jerome Wise was transported to the Aiken County Detention Center, the department of public safety said Monday in a news release.

Information about how law enforcement officers tracked Wise to Richland County, and where he was specifically located when he was arrested, was not available.

In addition to murder, the 19-year-old Aiken resident was wanted on arrest warrants for discharging a firearm into a dwelling, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to the release.

A bond hearing was scheduled Monday in Aiken County, court records show. Wise is next scheduled to appear in court on July 8, according to judicial records.

The charges stem from the Aug. 18, 2021 shooting death of Earnest Croft, the department of public safety said. The 31-year-old Croft lived in Aiken, according to his obituary.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of Aldrich Street and found a man, later identified as Croft, who suffered a gunshot wound, according to the release. Croft later died from the shooting, the department of public safety said.

Wise is not the only person charged with murder in Croft’s killing.

Two weeks after the shooting, Dontell Daniel Harling was arrested by the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Department and Edgefield Police Department, according to the release. The 20-year-old Aiken resident was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, Aiken County court records show. No bond was set, and in February 2022, Harling was also charged with discharging a firearm into a dwelling, according to court records.

A third person is still wanted in connection to Croft’s death, but that person’s identity is still unknown, the department of public safety said.

There was no word on a motive for the shooting.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Aiken Department of Public Safety at 803-642-7620, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.