Suspect in home invasion arrested

A Warrenville man with a criminal history that includes prior convictions for burglary and grand larceny has been accused of breaking into a Beech Island home shortly after midnight Wednesday and holding the residents at gunpoint, officials said.

Justin L. Turner, 19, was chased by deputies with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office and officers with Burnettown's police department after a 17-year-old girl reportedly woke up at her family's Easy Street home in Beech Island and saw the suspect inside her room, armed with a pistol, according to the report filed at the Sheriff's Office.

The teenage victim said she saw the intruder open her bedroom door and point a gun at her.

She said Turner backed out of the room and then took off running from the residence.

Deputies found that a back door had been kicked in, according to reports.

A 49-year-old man living at the home saw Turner take off and reportedly chased after him, running through a number of neighboring backyards.

At some point during the chase, the intruder reportedly turned his gun on the victim, threatening him with it, according to officials.

When police and officers got involved in the chase, Turner was detained. He was ordered to the ground by deputies and threw the gun aside before he was taken into police custody, officials said.

According to court records, previous convictions date to June 2008.

Turner has been arrested and is being held at the Aiken County detention center. He is charged with first-degree burglary.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.