The suspect in the death of an off-duty Connecticut police officer at a Murrells Inlet bar struck the victim in the head multiple times, a warrant says.
According to the arrest warrant for Kelton Jess Todd, Todd “did intentionally commit a battery upon and injure Matthew Mainieri by striking him in the head area multiple times with a closed fist.”
The warrant also states “the victim received serious internal injuries as a result of the incident.”
An incident report from the GCSO said deputies responded to the bar around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday for an assault incident.
According to the report, when a deputy arrived, the victim was lying on his back in front of Uncle Tito’s in a dirt parking lot with his shirt pulled up, exposing his torso. Another deputy and bystander were administering CPR. There were also two nurses on the victim’s right side, who were checking the victim’s pulse and helping with CPR.
The report also said deputies were advised that the suspect(s) had fled the scene on foot towards the parking lot north of The Crooked Floor Tavern and that the vehicle the suspect(s) were in was a grey or silver GMC with a SC tag.
The responding deputy said they left the scene to try to locate the suspect vehicle, according to the report. The deputy couldn’t locate the vehicle and says they returned to Uncle Tito’s. EMS crews had arrived and had the victim in an ambulance. The victim was taken to Waccamaw Hospital.
“Members of the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office has been working around the clock and continues to investigate the death of off-duty Sgt. Matthew Mainieri with the South Windsor Police Department,” 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said in a press release. “The Sheriff’s Office has been consulting with the Solicitor’s Office in the case. However, it is still very early in the investigation and the autopsy has not yet been completed.”
“Once the autopsy and the investigation are complete, a decision will be made by law enforcement authorities as to any additional charges in the case,” Richardson also said in the release. Kelton Todd is currently charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, “which is a serious felony that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.”
