Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Seneca Man on Kidnapping Charge

Garland Eric Dillard

(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------A Seneca man remains in jail today, on a combined $75,000 surety bond, after his arrest Thursday afternoon on charges of Kidnapping and for a Violation of a Permanent Restraining Order.

56 year old Garland Eric Dillard, of E. Ashton Street, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center at around 4:19pm yesterday by a Deputy assigned to the Warrants Unit.  Dillard was placed under arrest after turning himself in at the Law Enforcement Center in Walhalla.   

Dillard will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, as a condition of bond, should he be released from jail. 

Deputies from the Uniform Patrol Bureau responded to an address on Whitworth Circle, which is located between Seneca and the Bountyland Community, on Saturday afternoon, May 30^th in reference to a disturbance.  When Deputies arrived, they met with the victim, an adult female, and began an investigation.

During the course of the investigation, Deputies learned that Dillard had been staying at the Whitworth Circle address for the past two days.  Dillard had left the residence before Deputies arrived on scene.

Deputies learned that Dillard had taken the victim’s vehicle keys and had kept the victim from leaving the residence.  Deputies also obtained information which showed that Dillard was prohibited from making contact with the victim due to the permanent restraining order, which was issued by a Circuit Court Judge, due to a previous Domestic Violence – 1^st Degree conviction in 2022 against Dillard involving the same victim. 

After a consultation with a Judge, probable cause was established charging Dillard with Kidnapping and for a Violation of a Permanent Restraining Order. 

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation.