S.C. kidnapping suspect nabbed in Brunswick

A North Myrtle Beach, S.C., man is in custody at the Brunswick County Detention Center awaiting extradition to South Carolina.

Marco Maurice Vaught, 25, of 1264 Oyster Lane, is in custody on a $200,000 bond after being arrested Saturday evening in Brunswick County.

Loris, S.C., Police Chief Joseph Vaught said an Amber Alert was issued early Saturday morning for Evette Vaught and her 2-year-old daughter Namia, who authorities believed were taken by Marco Vaught.

Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Tommy Tolley said Marco Vaught, who had a domestic violence restraining order against him, took Evette and Namia Vaught from their Loris home.

After the Amber Alert was issued, someone spotted the rented Chrysler Sebring believed to be driven by Marco Vaught on Saturday in the parking lot of the Shallotte Wal-Mart, and called authorities.

The person who identified the car, “heard, listened and paid attention,” to the Amber Alert, Tolley said.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) launched a helicopter over the Holden Beach Road area, where Marco Vaught was headed, and then notified the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. Tolley and another deputy were in the area.

With a SLED helicopter hovering overhead, Tolley arrested Marco Vaught on a dirt road, about a half-mile off Holden Beach Road. Marco Vaught was unarmed and surrendered without incident, Tolley said.

Evette and Namia Vaught were taken back to their home by SLED officers.

“It worked perfectly,” Tolley said about the Amber Alert.

The Amber Alert and the citizen’s involvement were “certainly instrumental in solving this case. Not only to law enforcement agencies and to citizens, but as a result of the citizen spotting the vehicle, we immediately notified Brunswick County, who made the apprehension,” Joseph Vaught said.

Loris Police Department has two kidnapping warrants on Marco Vaught they will serve on him after his extradition to South Carolina.