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Bond set at $460,000 for suspect accused of tying up & torturing victim

tied upBERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.—A Sangaree man faced a judge in bond court Thursday evening accused of drug, kidnapping, gun and assault and battery charges stemming from an incident deputies say occurred inside his home on Village Green Circle Friday night.

A judge set a $460,000 bond for Rueben Alton Gretton, 36, on all the charges and was ordered to have absolutely no contact with the alleged victim.

According to deputies, they responded to a residential alarm on October 3rd shortly after midnight at 318 Village Green Circle in the Sangaree community.

Officers say they eventually met with a 21-year-old male victim who indicated that he had set the alarm after fleeing a home where he was being held there against his will.

Pictured: Rueben Gretton
Pictured: Rueben Gretton

The victim told deputies that he was walking around a neighborhood when Gretton asked him to come inside his home to talk about “stuff.” He told deputies that he knew Gretton because he had previously done yard work for him.

The young man says he walked into Gretton’s garage where he then pointed a shotgun to his head, threatening to shoot him with it.

Gretton reportedly told the victim to strip down and get into a nearby bed.

The victim did as Gretton demanded and then allegedly began tying up the young man with zip ties. According to the 21-year-old, Gretton threatened to kill him if he got out of the restraints.

The victim then told deputies that Gretton began licking his face where he had been crying and told him that if he killed him that he would “skull f*ck” him after.

The young man told deputies that a woman was present during the incident and she asked Gretton if he was going to kill the victim. The young man told officers that the woman and Gretton eventually left him in a locked room and that he was able to escape the zip ties, put on some clothes that belonged to Gretton. He then fled out of the back of the house, leaving his own clothes, keys and ID behind.

The victim told deputies that he saw that Gretton had a pot planting growing in the backyard.

Deputies say they went to the location of the incident and were unable to make contact with Gretton. During a protective sweep, they did see a marijuana plant in plain view.

Authorities say while deputies were on scene, Gretton’s estranged wife arrived at the home and said Gretton had called her advising that he needed to go to the VA hospital because he was going to harm himself. The wife told deputies that Gretton had an extreme history of PTSD from the military.

Gretton was eventually arrested with the help of the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force and currently remains behind bars.

His first court appearance will take place on December 5th.

Nikki Gaskins Campbell
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