MURRELLS INLET, SC (WBTW) – Horry County police say charges have been upgraded after the man assaulted at a Murrells Inlet bar earlier this month was pronounced dead Jan. 17 at the hospital.
Lt. Raul Denis with Horry County police says the charges against Janelle L. Castillo have been upgraded to hit and run/leaving scene of an accident with death and reckless homicide.
The updated arrest warrants say Castillo was driving her boyfriend away from the bar after he had been involved in the fight right in front of her car. She was intoxicated and being urged to hurry up before police arrived to the scene, and as she sped away, she ran over the victim, who had been knocked out in front of her car, the warrant says.
Castillo surrendered to detectives Thursday morning and is being held at the Horry County Detention Center.
On Jan. 12, police said they arrested three people in connection to a fight at a Garden City bar Jan 7. Horry County Coroner Tamara Willard says 44-year-old Michael Dunn of Horry County died ten days later at Grand Strand Hospital.
Raul Denis with the Horry County Police Department says officers responded to the Sandy Monkey Bar in Garden City for a fight around 4:20 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 7. On arrival, police saw a white car leaving the scene and found a man unconscious in the parking lot. The police report says officers observed that the victim had a severe head injury and was having trouble breathing.
The investigation revealed that the man may have been trying to break up a fight involving multiple people when he was assaulted. Police also say the white vehicle may have run over the man as it left.
A witness followed the vehicle and officers were able to arrest the driver. Janelle L. Castillo, 35 years old of Murrells Inlet, was initially charged with leaving the scene of an accident with great bodily injury and assault and battery in the first degree.
Christopher N. Buckman, 23 years old of Surfside Beach, was charged with two counts of assault and battery in the third degree. Daniel Watts, 23 years old of Garden City, was charged with assault and battery in the third degree and public disorderly conduct.
Castillo was released Jan. 9, Buckman was released Jan. 10 and Watts was released on Jan. 8.
