Man Charged in Theft of Guns from Batesburg-Leesville Home

A 24-year-old man was arrested Thursday after he allegedly broke into a home near Batesburg-Leesville and stole five weapons, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

Austin Lyle Switzer of Pond Branch Road, Leesville, was charged with first-degree burglary.

Switzer allegedly broke into a home on Pond Branch Road by forcing open the rear door after 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

Detectives say Switzer stole a Savage 10FXP 30-06 rifle, one Windham AR-15 rifle, one Remington 700 shotgun, one Stoger M-2000 12-gauge shotgun and one Marlin 60 semi-automatic .22-caliber rifle worth a total of $4,900.

Witnesses told detectives that Switzer was in the area at the time of the break-in and later tried to sell the stolen firearms, according to a sheriff’s department release.

During a search of Switzer’s home, detectives recovered several of the firearms, the release said.

Switzer is also accused of stealing a survival knife, ammunition for the AR-15 rifle, a camouflage backpack, a laptop computer, two black gun cases, a Sony PlayStation 3, a video game controller, a headset and several video games. 

Switzer was being held at the Lexington County Detention Center Thursday, while awaiting a Friday morning bond hearing.