A Liberty County woman and her two small children were rescued in South Carolina Friday night after allegedly being kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend.
According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a verbal altercation at her home last Wednesday and a temporary injunction was issued against her ex-boyfriend, Robert McCandless. Later that night, Sims called the LCSO to report seeing a suspicious vehicle driving by her home, but she was unable to identify who was behind the wheel.
Just before 4 a.m. Friday, Sims called 911 to report McCandless had kicked in her front door and entered the home, violating the injunction. McCandless fled before deputies arrived and they were unable to locate him.
A few hours later, deputies returned to Sims’ home to check on her and the children. They were fine at the time. However, when the deputies went back between 11 and 11:30 a.m., Sims and the children were gone. Further investigation revealed Sims didn’t show up for work that day. Her home was empty.
The LCSO immediately issued a BOLO - Be On The Lookout - alert in a national database utilized by law enforcement. Between 5:30 and 6 p.m., Sims’ vehicle was spotted by law enforcement in Florence County, South Carolina - 470 miles from Bristol. A deputy with the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and took McCandless into custody. Sims and her children were safe, but taken to a South Carolina hospital for treatment. According to South Carolina authorities, Sims had bruises on her face.
McCandless is being held at the Clarendon County Jail awaiting extradition to Florida.
The LCSO contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State Attorney’s Office for assistance in this case. The investigation is ongoing.
