LANCASTER, S.C. — The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office arrested three adults and detained three juveniles after a woman was shot and killed in her car.
Larisha Sharell Thompson’s family found her inside her car, suffering a gunshot wound, on the side of Riverside Road on May 2. Paramedics said Thompson was dead upon their arrival.
LCSO launched an investigation and arrested 21-year-old Asael Aminadas Torres-Chirinos, 18-year-old Jarby Ardon Ramos-Odari, and 17-year-old Jeyson Sobied Pineda-Salgado.
Deputies detained a 15-year-old, a 14-year-old, and a 13-year-old. The juveniles will have detention hearings within a Family Court this week.
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The suspects were identified as a group that attempted to break into the Van Wyck Mart on April 30, near where Thompson’s body was found, reports said. Reports say Torres-Chirinos was identified through surveillance footage as being present at the attempted break-in.
Deputies said the State Law Enforcement Division determined a 9 mm handgun was used in the attempted robbery. The gun was fired and caused damage to a surveillance camera and a bathroom door. Torres-Chirinos was determined to have shot the gun.
Investigators said the same gun that was used in the attempted robbery was used in the Riverside Robbery. Officials also connected Torres-Chirinos’ 2024 Honda Civic to both scenes.
Deputies and investigators brought Torres-Chirinos and several others in for questioning. By the end of the day, they had identified, located, detained, and questioned all five of the other suspects.
Investigators determined all six suspects were at the scene of the attempted robbery and the homicide.
Officials said they believe Thompson to be a victim of a random robbery attempt. Investigators said all six suspects were in Torres-Chirinos’ car.
The suspects pulled near Thompson’s car as she drove on Riverside Road, reports say, and Torres-Chirinos then opened fire, struck Thompson, and killed her. Her car came to a stop in the roadway, and then the suspects attempted to rob her, but the car doors were locked. The suspects then fled the scene.
“This shooting defies any sense of decency in a civilized society,” said Sheriff Barry Faile. “Ms. Thompson was going about her business on a Friday night, not bothering anyone. All of a sudden these six men and boys, out to get something for nothing from someone they did not know and had no business bothering, pulled alongside her car, and Torres-Chirinos opened fire, killing Ms. Thompson. There’s no place in our society for acts like this or the people who commit them, and my hope is these six are never again among us.”
All three adults were charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, and burglary second degree. Torres-Chirinos was also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien.
The three juveniles were charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, and burglary second degree.
All six who were arrested or detained are subject to removal from the United States based on their immigration status. LCSO and the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice have placed immigration detainers on all six suspects.
“The Department of Homeland Security has placed detainers on these six,” Faile said. “That doesn’t mean the federal government will scoop them up and send them out of the country before their cases are heard in court. It simply means if for any reason any one or more of them becomes eligible for release before their charges are resolved in court, Homeland Security will take custody of them and they will not be back out on the street. Our intention is that all six remain detained until they face the full weight of our judicial system.”
Investigators say they are not looking for more suspects, but the investigation is still open and active. They ask that anyone with information contact the LCSO at (803) 283-3388.
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