BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. — A woman accused of pulling a handgun and threatening to kill everyone inside a Harris Teeter in Nexton after attempting to shoplift groceries has been arrested following a months-long investigation, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.
Cherish Eternity Lancaster, 33, was taken into custody June 25 after investigators tracked her to a residence on Longridge Road, Sheriff Duane Lewis announced.
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Lancaster faces charges of armed robbery with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and pointing and presenting a firearm. She remains held at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center.
According to investigators, the incident occurred April 4 at the Harris Teeter on Nexton Parkway in Summerville.
Deputies were dispatched after receiving reports of a shoplifting in progress. While officers were en route, dispatchers were told the suspect had displayed a firearm before leaving the store in a white sedan.
Investigators say suspect threatened employees
According to the sheriff’s office, Lancaster entered the grocery store carrying reusable shopping bags, placed them inside a cart and selected various grocery items before walking past all points of sale without paying.
Store employees confronted Lancaster as she attempted to leave the business, investigators said.
Authorities allege Lancaster responded by lifting her shirt to reveal a handgun tucked into her waistband before threatening to kill everyone inside the store.
She then fled the scene in a white sedan before deputies arrived.
Detectives followed leads for weeks
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, assisted by the agency’s Intelligence Unit, immediately launched an investigation and obtained arrest warrants for Lancaster.
According to investigators, detectives later determined Lancaster was frequently associated with another individual who regularly moved between various locations in an effort to avoid law enforcement.
Over the following weeks, investigators interviewed family members and associates, pursued numerous leads and executed multiple search warrants while attempting to locate Lancaster.
The investigation came to an end June 25 after detectives received information that Lancaster was staying at a residence on Longridge Road. Deputies responded to the home and arrested her without incident.
“This arrest is the result of persistent investigative work and outstanding collaboration between our Criminal Investigations Division and Intelligence Unit,” Sheriff Duane Lewis said in a statement. “Our investigators remained committed to locating this suspect, and their determination ensured she was safely taken into custody. We appreciate the cooperation from witnesses that ultimately helped bring this case to a successful conclusion.”
What happens next?
Lancaster remains incarcerated at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center. The charges against her will proceed through the South Carolina court system. As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and Lancaster is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
