A 19-year-old Columbia man is facing a couple of felonies following a break-in on November 20, 2020 in Cooper County.

According to a Probable Cause Statement, at approximately 1:23 p.m., the home owner interrupted a burglary in progress. The home owner stated when he arrived at his residence on Highway 179, he observed multiple black males exiting his residence carrying firearms. The home owner observed the men place the riffles in the trunk of a car before fleeing the area. The victim followed the vehicle onto eastbound Interstate 70, where the vehicle became disabled. After the driver pulled the car to the side of the road, one of the men in the vehicle, fled on foot, into the woods.

A female acquaintance, of Jamal A. Johnson, provided a written statement to authorities on December 16 that claims Johnson admitted to her his involvement in the burglary, and that he was the suspect that fled the area when the car became disabled. Phone records obtained from Sprint, via search warrant, indicated the phone associated with Johnson had been in the area of the burglary at the time of the incident.

Johnson is charged with Burglary in the Second and Degree and Stealing of a Firearm/Explosive Weapon/Ammonium Nitrate. Each charge is classified as a Class D Felony. Bond has been set at $25,000 cash or surety.

Johnson’s initial appearance is pending at Cooper County Circuit Court.