Ezekiel Isaiah James Cheeks
(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------A Seneca man remains in jail today after his arrest yesterday morning on charges related to a weekend investigation of a reported burglary and assault.
20 year old Ezekiel Isaiah James Cheeks, who has listed addresses on Gloria Lane and Padgett Street, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center around 6:38am Monday on charges of First Degree Burglary, Possession of a Weapon during Commission of a Violent Crime and Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature.
Cheeks was taken into custody early yesterday morning, at an address on S. Depot Street in Seneca, after Cheeks was located by the Seneca Police Department. Cheeks was transported by a Deputy from the Uniform Patrol Bureau to jail.
The burglary and assault investigation began this past Saturday morning after a Deputy from Uniform Patrol responded to an address on Ponderosa Drive near Seneca due to reports of an assault. During the course of the investigation, the Deputy was told that Cheeks had entered the residence and assaulted the victim, which included Cheeks using a weapon, a hatchet, which Cheeks reportedly knocked out of the victim’s hand.
The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the attack.
Based upon evidence obtained during the investigation, the Deputy was able to obtain arrest warrants against Cheeks. According to an arrest warrant, Cheeks entered the residence without consent and with the intent to commit a crime. Cheeks also used the hatchet to assault the victim by hitting the victim, an adult male, in the back and head, which caused multiple injuries that required hospitalization, according to an arrest warrant.
Additionally, Cheeks has also been charged with one count each of Furnishing Contraband into a Detention Facility and Possession of Methamphetamine for a quantity of narcotics that was discovered, on Cheeks person, during the booking and intake process at the jail.
At this time, Cheeks remains in jail as his bond was denied on the three charges related to the burglary and assault. Cheeks was given a combined $45,000 surety bond in relation to the contraband and drug charges. Additionally, Cheeks was served an arrest warrant by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, for which Cheeks was given a $25,000 surety bond.
Due to the nature of the crime, and for safety and health privacy reasons, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office will not release the name of the victim nor provide any updates on his condition.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank our law enforcement partners with the Seneca Police Department for their help and assistance.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation.