Robbery suspect also set fires, police say

LANCASTER, S.C. -- It's the news everyone in Lancaster has been waiting to hear -- investigators believe they've caught the courthouse arsonist, and their suspect is the same person police say is responsible for five armed robberies in one month.

NewsChannel 36 talked to suspect Martavious Carter's grandparents Friday.

"We're very sorry for the victims in these incidents, we hope it's not true though," said the 17-year-old suspect's grandmother.

But that interview was when she only knew her 17-year-old grandson was charged with five armed robberies and four carjackings.

"I don't believe he did all that stuff," she went on to say. Later Friday, police charged Carter in two infamous arsons.

The people of Lancaster watched as their historic courthouse went up in flames Aug. 4 and then three days later the solicitor's office was set ablaze across the street.

"Witnesses and informants have provided significant information to our investigators," Lancaster Police Chief Hugh White said.

But Carter's arrest Thursday came from a different crime. A 70-year-old woman was robbed, kidnapped, carjacked and forced into her trunk outside a downtowngift shop. Police say she pried herself out with a garden tool.

"Oh Lord, I couldn't imagine (because) I know what it was like for me," said Linda Webster. Webster was the first in that string of cases. She was at her desk working at the Gregory and Gregory attorney's office Aug. 21 when she says a man came in and pointed a gun at her.

"The gun was maybe about 4 to 5 inches from my forehead," Webster said. "He made me back up, get on my knees, crawl on my hands and knees to my office and asked for my pocket book and keys and left in my car."

Police say Carter played out this similar scenerio twice at the post office and then at a credit union. All the crimes, including the arsons, were within a 5-block radius of downtown Lancaster. People like Lillie Massey who grew up in Lancaster can breathe a little easier now. But Masseysaid, "They just don't care anymore, they'll do anything, you're not safe anywhere."