Defense Contractor Attorney Near Orangeburg, SC

ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - An Orangeburg County woman is now taking a hotel to court after claiming they caused her to be “held hostage” by her estranged husband.

Records show Latasha Brown filed suit Oct. 24 against the operating parties of the Tru by Hilton in Orangeburg, with multiple people and LLCs linked to the hotel named as defendants.

A representative from Hilton’s corporate office confirmed to WIS on Thursday that the Orangeburg hotel is independently owned and operated.

Brown alleges that after she left her estranged husband in July 2024, he began stalking her and using GPS tracking to find her location. The lawsuit also cites one particular instance where he found her hiding in the trunk of her vehicle.

The lawsuit states Brown would stay in hotels to continue avoiding being stalked. It states that her husband tracked her to a hotel in July 2024 and attempted to confirm whether or not she was staying there and obtain a room key. The hotel did not do so, in a move that the lawsuit said followed industry standards.

On September 20, 2024, however, the lawsuit claims the Tru by Hilton in Orangeburg did the opposite.

It’s alleged Brown switched vehicles with a friend to try and avoid her husband locating her, noting that a GPS tracker was later found on her car.

The lawsuit claims her husband roamed around the hotel for hours before coming to the front desk, where a night auditor reportedly gave him a room key, told him what room Brown was in. According to the lawsuit, this was done without obtaining any form of identification or checking with Brown for authorization.

Brown claims she was “abused and held hostage” in her room for nearly five hours the next morning, with cries for help going unanswered by hotel staff.

“I can’t believe this happened to me at such a reputable hotel,” Brown said.

The lawsuit also alleges others were concerned, including a person staying next to the room Brown was in - but the concerns were not addressed by staff.

The lawsuit goes on to say that Brown was able to convince her husband that she had a work meeting and that her phone was dead - and that if she did not contact someone, police would be called. He also gave her $200 to fix her hair and nails, but Brown claims she ran through the lobby to get to her car after receiving the money.

Brown claims she was able to make it to her friend’s vehicle and eventually got away before flagging down an Orangeburg County deputy’s vehicle. She told the deputy what happened, leading to an investigation.

Tru by Hilton later filed an internal incident report, noted in the lawsuit, that stated security procedures were not followed. The lawsuit also claimed the night auditor “was not truthful” in their account of what happened. Documents go on to state the employee was later fired.

Brown is requesting a jury trial as well as damages.

Brown says her lawsuit is part of a bigger effort to bring safety to domestic violence victims.

“I can’t believe this happened to me at such a reputable hotel,” Brown said.“You think that you’re going somewhere, you’re safe and you’re behind this big heavy door but there’s a key that works and they can give it to anyone if they’re negligent and anything can happen to you once that door opens,” she said. “I do want people to know that we have to make sure that we’re safe, even when we’re working on our exit plans.”

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Deputies say two women are charged after vulnerable adults were found in unsanitary conditions inside a Bowman Branch Highway home in Orangeburg County.

BOWMAN, S.C. — Two women are facing kidnapping and neglect charges after deputies say vulnerable adults were found living in poor conditions inside a home in Orangeburg County.

Deputies said the investigation began after a community health worker raised concerns about the care of several people at a home on Bowman Branch Highway.

An incident report states that the worker told investigators she saw a frail, blind man left on the floor in just a diaper while caregivers stepped over him.

When deputies arrived, they made contact with 19-year-old Octavia Brown, who led them inside.

Investigators said they found residents in unsanitary conditions that included urine on the floor, minimal bedding, dirty clothes, and rooms secured with padlocks that could not be opened from the inside.

The report stated that Brown told a deputy the padlock was in place, so the residents would not walk off.

Paramedics took each of them to MUSC Health Orangeburg for medical care, and the Department of Social Services (DSS) placed them in protective custody.

Investigators said 65-year-old Eula Mae Jones and her granddaughter, 19-year-old Octavia Jamyra Brown, each face five counts of kidnapping and neglect of a vulnerable adult. Both posted $15,000 bond.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) said the home was not licensed as a care facility.

News19 asked DSS if they are placing the patients in a new home.

“The closing of a facility or boarding home may happen for numerous reasons, and ... DSS and Adult Protective Services is willing to assist the residents if they consent along with representatives from the Department of Aging,” the agency said in response.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing as they continue to determine the full extent of neglect at the home. Code enforcement and the fire marshal are also investigating, with inspectors later condemning the home due to unsafe floors, unsanitary conditions and structural concerns.

County officials called in code enforcement and the fire marshal. Inspectors later condemned the home, citing unsafe floors, unsanitary conditions, and structural concerns.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A body found in Orangeburg County has been identified as a 23-year-old woman who had been missing since February 2024.

Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell announced that human remains located in March have been identified as Cloe Williams after an extensive autopsy. Williams was 23 years old when she was reported missing.

“On one hand, we finally have an identity, yet on the other, we still have a loss of life,” the sheriff said. “My team has been in continued contact with the family since she went missing, and we ask prayers for them at this time.”

According to deputies, the autopsy revealed the Neeses woman suffered a gunshot wound. With the new information, Ravenell said the case will now be investigated as a homicide.

“We, the family of Cloe Williams, are heartbroken to learn that she was unfortunately found deceased,” the family of Williams said in a statement. “While it is not the outcome we had hoped for, we can now put to rest the question, ‘Where is Cloe?’

“Our family is very grateful to the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work and dedication to this case, and we are thankful for the prayers and support from the community.”

Deputies urge anyone with information on the case to contact the Orangeburg County Communications Center at 803-534-3550.

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ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WIS) - Staff at a South Carolina Waffle House location have started a strike, demanding better pay and working conditions.

The Union of Southern Service Workers said union workers at a location on Five Chop Road in Orangeburg began a four-day strike on Sunday.

The union claims Waffle House automatically deducts at least $3 per shift from workers’ paychecks for a “meal credit” - regardless of whether they have a break or eat a meal. In a statement, the union says the Orangeburg workers are among “other Waffle House cooks and servers who say this unfair deduction, taken even when they are denied the right to take food home, takes away the money workers rely on to get by.”

According to the union, workers also reported feeling threatened, harassed and ignored by management when they came to them with concerns about safety at work. One worker described a particular incident where they claimed a customer touched them to the point where another employee had to get involved, but nothing happened when they reportedly went to management.

The USSW says the workers are asking for more fair scheduling, a safer work environment with 24/7 unarmed security, a $25 per hour minimum wage and “a seat at the table for workers to fight for better conditions.”

WIS has reached out to Waffle House for comment.

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ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WIS) - On Thursday, school leaders in Orangeburg placed the last beam on a new high school, marking a significant milestone for construction.

Students and staff also got a tour of their future home. Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School junior class president Ralley Wright said the current school is slowly falling apart.

“Little technology issues, boards not working, wifi, different things like that, leaks in the ceiling and I think here there’s going to be none of that,” she said.

Superintendent Shawn Foster said the current high school is not extremely old but was in need of renovations.

“Although it’s not an extremely old facility, the renovations and the disarray the building was in just from its HVAC systems, it made more sense to build a brand-new facility than to try to go back in and renovate an existing facility that still, even at this endpoint, may not give the students the educational opportunities that they deserve,” he said.

Construction on the new Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School started last year on Cook Road. The facility is one of the largest projects funded by the district’s $190 million bond referendum, with a final estimated cost of $135 million

The new facility will be able to serve up to 1,500 students. It will include a new athletic field, career and technical education labs and performing arts facilities—all things students like Xion Goldsmith are excited about.

“It’s really nice. I’m really excited for the new year,” he said.

Current principal Dr. Patricia Moultrie-Goldsmith graduated from Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School in 1992 and said she’s proud to see her alma mater transform.

“To be able to see this building erected is just a momentous occasion, and I’m just very proud,” she said.

As construction comes to the final stages, Foster said he looks forward to carrying on the legacy of the old school.

“It symbolizes this community coming together and moving forward education,” he said.

Construction on this new facility is expected to wrap up by next fall.

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