Ridgeland fugitive found in Beaufort County with kidnapped woman in his truck bed, police say

A man wanted for burglary in Jasper County was found by police Monday morning allegedly in the process of kidnapping awoman who had been assaulted, according to police officials from Beaufort and Jasper counties.

Harry DiBiase Jr., 53, of Ridgeland, was charged early Monday morning with kidnapping, domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, and giving false information to law enforcement, jail records show.

DiBiase is the son of the late Harry D. DiBiase Sr., who served as Ridgeland’s police chief for 22 years and died of cancer in 2011.

A Beaufort County deputy was in the Burton area around 4:30 a.m. Monday when he spotted a truck that matched the description of DiBiase’s vehicle. After the truck parked at a residence on Colonial Avenue, DiBiase climbed out of the vehicle and began taking a woman out of the truck bed, according to Maj. Angela Viens, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy noticed the woman had “severe injuries” on her face, Viens said. The woman was DiBiase’s longtime romantic partner who had moved out of their shared household two months ago.

Police allege that, after a fight, DiBiase assaulted the woman and forced her into his truck bed, throwing her purse out the window as he drove away.

DiBiase was wanted in Jasper County for second-degree burglary and grand larceny, both stemming from a November 2022 incident in which he allegedly stole a resident’s four-wheeler. By the time investigators obtained an arrest warrant, DiBiase couldn’t be located at his Ridgeland address, said Chief Jeff Crosby, a spokesperson for the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office had been on the lookout for DiBiase and his vehicle since Thursday, when they learned from Jasper County that the man might have come to Beaufort County, Viens said.

The alleged assault earned DiBiase a felony charge of domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, considered the most serious form of domestic violence in South Carolina. The Beaufort County deputy said DiBiase showed “extreme indifference to the value of human life,” which is one qualification for the charge under state law. The offense is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The false information charge stems from DiBiase initially giving police a fake name, Viens said.

Jasper County law enforcement will take custody of DiBiase after he meets bond requirements at the Beaufort County Detention Center, according to Viens.

If you or someone you know has been affected by domestic violence, help can be found by calling Hopeful Horizons’ 24-hour support line at 843-770-1070.