Suspect in ‘rash’ of Rock Hill break-ins caught after police chase near Winthrop

A suspect in a Rock Hill car break-in, surrounded by officers investigating a “rash” of thefts, was caught after a chase with police near Winthrop University, police said.

Adam Justin Allman, 29, is charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of breaking into automobiles, illegal carrying of a gun and two drug charges, according to police, court, and jail records.

Allman, already on probation for convictions for car break-ins, was captured by police around 4 a.m. Saturday, police and court records show.

Officers were in the area near Winthrop on Sumter Street investigating car break-ins that had been reported earlier, said Rock Hill Police Department Capt. Mark Bollinger.

Officer Rex Hernandez heard rustling in bushes near the Charlotte Avenue YMCA and chased Allman on foot, according to an incident report.

Allman put a Carolina Panthers backpack into a trash can as he ran, officers said. Several patrol officers surrounded Allman, and took him into custody near the Oratory, police said.

A gun and ammunition was in the backpack, Bollinger said.

Police recovered several stolen items from break-ins in the area, including sunglasses, prescription pills and electronics, according to the police report from the incident. One of the crime victims identified the recovered items, police said.

A K-9 unit on scene because of several break-ins found a track that linked Allman to at least one of the crime scenes, Bollinger said.

The break-ins in the area remain under investigation. Late last week, 30 car break-ins were reported in a single day in the city.

Allman was sentenced to 18 months of probation in October 2017, after pleading guilty to break-ins, court records show.

In 2016 Allman pleaded guilty to possession of stolen goods and in 2015 he pleaded guilty to damage to property. He received probation in those cases, according to court records.

Allman is being held at the York County jail on a $220,000 bond.

This story was originally published December 31, 2018 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Suspect in ‘rash’ of Rock Hill break-ins caught after police chase near Winthrop."