Police say a string of progressively violent robberies nearly resulted in two homicides before two teenagers were caught early Tuesday.

The two males were arrested around 1:30 a.m., and police are asking the public's help to find the two remaining suspects who are believed to have taken part in a series of armed robberies Monday.

Those at-large suspects are believed to be armed and extremely dangerous, Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office Capt. Rene Williams said.

"We're got to get these individuals before someone else gets robbed or someone gets killed," Williams said. "We're doing everything we can to locate these individuals. If anyone knows anything about them, please give us a call."

Arrested were Marcus Nathaniel Johnson, 19, of 210 Cotton Ave., Cope; and Dylan Robinson, 18, of 223 Chiquitta St., Cordova. Both are charged with armed robbery.

In addition, Johnson is charged with possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime while Robinson is charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

Investigators are still searching for Virgil Dontrice Haygood, 18, of 5946 Slab Landing Road, Orangeburg, and a 15-year-old youth whose name was not released due to his age. Police have obtained two warrants against each for armed robbery.

Monday's crime spree, police say, began around 9:50 p.m., when a Cordova man was assaulted and robbed. A concerned citizen called deputies saying a man was on her porch "bleeding heavily from the head area," according to the OCSO report.

Deputies arrived at the woman's house to find a Cordova man laying on the porch. He had a towel wrapped around his head. The officers noted the man had several cuts on his head, and "a large amount of blood on the porch in front of the door," the report indicates.

The victim told police four males in a green Ford Crown Victoria gave him a ride to a Kennerly Road residence where they exited the Ford. One subject then pulled out a handgun and demanded the victim's money. When the victim had no money to give the subject, the males started pistol-whipping him.

"The reason they were beating him with the butt of the gun is because it didn't fire," Williams said. "The victim said he heard the guy pull the trigger several times. But the gun didn't go off."

EMS transported the 25-year-old victim to The Regional Medical Center.

About an hour after the first incident, an Orangeburg man was robbed as he drove through the Wal-Mart parking lot.

The man said that at about 11:10 p.m., another vehicle cut in front of his blocking his path. The driver of the other car then "jumped out of the car with a handgun and put it up to his (victim's) neck and demanded that he give up his wallet," the incident report states.

After the subjects took several hundred dollars from the victim, they sped towards Orangeburg on U.S. 178. The man then called police.

"That victim provided us with a description of the vehicle and a license tag number," Williams said. "He said there were four black males as being in that vehicle."

Police speculate the Wal-Mart victim wasn't shot, Williams said, because a number of patrons were in the parking lot with the victim.

A "be on the lookout" notice went out to all South Carolina law enforcement Monday night identifying the Ford as having been involved in at least two robberies in two hours.

"At that time, we felt like we needed to get these guys off the streets as soon as possible," Williams said. "We knew that at that very moment, they could be out robbing or maybe murdering someone."

About three hours after the last attack, an Orangeburg County deputy spotted a vehicle traveling on Cannon Bridge Road. It was a green Ford Crown Victoria.

"A felony traffic stop was initiated," Williams said. "We took two into custody, one fled on foot and another had already been dropped off at his house."

Johnson and Robinson were immediately arrested; police say Haygood successfully fled.

"He's (Haygood) our main triggerman," Williams said.

The 15-year-old male believed to have taken part in the robberies wasn't in the car at the time of the traffic stop, police say.

Anyone having information pertaining to these robberies is urged to call CrimeStoppers toll free at 888-83-CRIME. Cash rewards of up to $1,000 are available for information leading to the conviction of individuals involved in criminal activities. Citizens do not have to give their names, and all calls are kept confidential.

The OCSO can be reached at 803-531-4647. Detectives Roman Rodriguez and Steven Thompson are leading the ongoing investigation.

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