Former custody officer at SC mental health facility accused of abusing vulnerable adult
IT’S 644 IN TIME FOR NEWS TO GO. WE HAVE A LOOK AT TODAY’S TOP NEWS STORIES, YOUR TRAFFIC AND YOUR WEATHER ALL BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR. WE START WITH AN ARREST MADE IN GREENVILLE COUNTY IN CONNECTION WITH A SHOOTING. DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO THE BOULDER CREEK APARTMENTS ON FURMAN ROAD ABOUT 645 LAST NIGHT. DEPUTIES SAY THEY FOUND A MAN WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE EAR. DEPUTIES SAY THEY ARRESTED THE SUSPECTED SHOOTER ALONG NORTH PLEASANTBURG DRIVE, BUT NO OTHER DETAILS WERE RELEASED. WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE MIKE LAMBERT HAS DIED AFTER A BATTLE WITH CANCER. THAT’S ACCORDING TO STATE OFFICIALS. LAMBERT WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 119, WHICH COVERS JACKSON, SWAIN AND TRANSYLVANIA COUNTIES. IN A STATEMENT, HOUSE SPEAKER DESTIN HALL SAYS, QUOTE, HE FACED CANCER WITH THE SAME COURAGE THAT DEFINED HIS LIFE, CARRYING HIMSELF WITH STRENGTH AND GROUNDING HIMSELF IN HIS UNWAVERING FAITH IN GOD EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. END QUOTE. A MAN IS FACING ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOLLOWING A STABBING IN UNION ON SAINT PATRICK’S DAY. THE UNION PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT SAYS IT HAPPENED TUESDAY AT A HOME ON JAMES STREET. POLICE SAY A VEHICLE DROPPED OFF A MAN AT THE HOSPITAL WHO WAS STABBED IN THE SIDE. AND OFFICERS SAY MICHAEL DINEEN THE THIRD, WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AND WEAPONS CHARGES. THE VICTIM’S CONDITION IS UNKNOWN. DEPUTIES IN ANDERSON COUNTY ARE ASKING FOR HELP TO IDENTIFY A MAN THEY SAY IS ACCUSED OF VANDALIZING A CHURCH BUS. AUTHORITIES SAY A MAN VANDALIZED THE BUS AND ALSO STOLE ITS CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ALONG BELDEN HIGHWAY THIS MONTH. DEPUTIES DIDN’T RELEASE THE NAME OF THE CHURCH, BUT THEY’RE ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION TO CALL THE NUMBER ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN, OR YOU CAN SUBMIT AN ANONYMOUS TIP TO ANDERSON AREA CRIME STOPPERS. THEY SAY THAT TOOK PLACE ALONG BELTON HIGHWAY EARLIER THIS MONTH. SO SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND IF YOU DO SUBMIT THAT TIP. SEVEN NEW MEASLES CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH. SOUTH CAROLINA HEALTH LEADERS SPOKE ABOUT THIS RECENTLY. AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT IT IS IT’S DECLINING, SAYING IT’S DUE IN PART TO THE DEPARTMENT’S OUTREACH EFFORTS. AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT THAT IS LARGELY IN PART OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS, OUR OUTREACH AND OUR EDUCATION EFFORTS IN THAT SPECIFIC IMPACTED COMMUNITY. ON TUESDAY, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTED ONE NEW CASE OF MEASLES, BRINGING THE TOTAL UP TO 997. AND OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED, ONLY 26 WERE FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST THE ILLNESS. RIGHT NOW, A BOIL WATER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF WALHALLA AFTER A CAR HIT A FIRE HYDRANT. THE CITY OF WALHALLA WATER DEPARTMENT ISSUED THAT 24 HOUR ADVISORY ABOUT 845 LAST NIGHT, AND IT’S IMPACTING CUSTOMERS ALONG HIGHLANDS HIGHWAY, ROCKY KNOLL ROAD, JAMAICA ROAD AND SURROUNDING AREAS. THOSE AREAS HAVE ALSO BEEN CALLED THAT ARE INCLUDED DURING THE ADVISORY. CUSTOMERS SHOULD BOIL THEIR WATER FOR AT LEAST THREE MINUTES BEFORE USING IT TO DRINK, COOK OR PREPARE FOOD, AND THE CITY WILL NOTIFY THOSE CUSTOMERS ONCE THE ADVISORY IS LIFTED. EARLY VOTING IS UNDERWAY FOR A $395 MILLION BOND REFERENDUM FOR SPARTANBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT SIX, AND THE GOAL THERE IS TO TEAR DOWN AND REBUILD SOME OF THE SCHOOLS TO ACCOMMODATE MORE STUDENTS, ACCORDING TO THE DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT, MOST OF THE SCHOOLS ARE AT OR NEAR CAPACITY, WITH SOME OF THE SCHOOLS SHOWING SIGNS OF AGING AND SOME IN NEED OF NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS. THE ONLY OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT INCREASING TAXES, WHICH WE DO NOT WANT TO DO. SO RIGHT NOW WE’RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS REFERENDUM. IT’S A NO TAX INCREASE. ACCESS TO FUNDS THAT ALLOWS US TO BUILD THE CAPACITY THAT WE NEED. NOW. IF PEOPLE VOTE IN FAVOR MARCH 31ST, THERE ARE NINE BUILDING PROJECTS THE DISTRICT HOPES TO TACKLE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, AND WE’RE HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN IN THE UPSTATE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST SIGNIFICANT WOMEN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, MADE A STOP IN THE UPSTATE. AMELIA EARHART LANDED IN ANDERSON IN NOVEMBER OF 1931 AS PART OF A BEECH-NUT GUM PROMOTIONAL TOUR. THE ANDERSON COUNTY MUSEUM SAYS IT WAS REPORTED MORE THAN 1000 PEOPLE WELCOMED HER TO ANDERSON AS WELL. NOW, EARHART WAS FROM KANSAS, AND SHE WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO MAKE A NONSTOP SOLO TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT, AND SHE ALSO PROMOTED COMMERCIAL AIR TRAVEL. SHE WOULD DISAPPEAR DURING A FLIGHT IN JULY OF 1937. VICTORIA. AND BUNDLE UP OUT THE DOOR THIS MORNING FOR THURSDAY. DEFINITELY A COLDER START TO OUR DAY, BUT WE DO START TO WARM UP LATER THIS AFTERNOON. BY THE LUNCH HOUR, IT’S COMFORTABLE OUTSIDE. WE’RE HEADING TOWARDS THE LOW 60S AND CLOUDS EVENTUALLY DO BEGIN TO CLEAR OUT. THIS WILL TAKE US TOWARDS THE UPPER 60S TO MID 60S LATER TODAY. AND AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THIS EVENING, WHICH IS REALLY 4 TO 5:00 WHEN WE SEE OUR HIGH. WE’LL SEE PLENTY OF SUNSHINE OUT THERE. SO IT IS A COLD START, BUT WE DO START TO SEE RELIEF LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVEN MORE THIS WEEKEND. WE’LL CONTINUE THIS WARMING TREND INTO SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. IT’LL BE REALLY NICE DAY TO MAYBE LAY OUT BY THE POOL, TAKE A WALK OUTSIDE THOUGH THE POLLEN COUNT WILL BE HIGH. KEEP THAT IN MIND SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, BOTH IN THE 80S. BOTH BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOONS AND WARM. SIMILAR FOR THE MOUNTAINS NOW. SATURDAY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA WILL STAY IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S. IT’S COMFORTABLE THOUGH, AND THEN SUNGLASSES NEEDED AGAIN ON SUNDAY. WE WILL HEAD TOWARDS THE LOW 80S BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND STAYING IN THE 80S AT LEAST THROUGH MONDAY BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES IN. SO WE’LL TAKE ONE MORE LOOK AT MY FOUR-DAY PLUS COMING UP HERE IN A FEW MINUTES. LEAH. VICTORIA. THINGS ARE LOOKING GOOD OUT ON THOSE ROADS. WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE STRETCH OF I 85. WE’RE OVER BY PELHAM ROAD. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, ALL THOSE LIGHTS ARE CARS THIS MORNING. THAT’S KIND OF TYPICAL ABOUT THIS TIME AS FOLKS HEAD OUT THE DOOR MAKING THEIR WAY INTO WORK, MAYBE TAKING THE KIDS TO SCHOOL. BUT WE’RE MOVING. AND THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS HERE. AS I’VE BEEN MOVING UP AND DOWN THESE CAMERAS, I’M NOT SEEING ANY INCIDENTS, ANY CRASHES OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE A STANDSTILL BACKUP. AS WE LOOK ALL THROUGHOUT OUR AREA, WE’RE SEEING THAT TYPICAL SLOWDOWN, ESPECIALLY AS YOU HEAD INTO DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE. AND WHILE WE’RE ON THE TOPIC, TAKING A LOOK AT SOME EXPECTED HIGHER VOLUMES OF TRAFFIC IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AS A LOT OF FESTIVITIES AND EVENTS ARE HAPPENING, WE’LL HAVE MORE ON THAT COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. BUT IF YOU ARE HEADING INTO DOWNTOWN, GREENVILLE HAVE SOME PLANS THIS WEEKEND. MAKE A LITTLE EXTRA TIME FOR PARKING. WE’RE TAKING A LOOK THERE AT TRAVEL TIMES THROUGHOUT ALL THE MAJOR INTERSTATES IN OUR AREA. THINGS ARE LOOKING GREEN. HEY, AARON. THANK YOU. THE CITY OF GREENVILLE IS PREPARING TO WELCOME PLENTY OF FANS DOWNTOWN, OF COURSE, BUT IT COMES AS THE GREENVILLE TRANSIT AUTHORITY IS CONSIDERING CHANGES TO A KEY TOURISM TOOL. THE 99 TROLLEY LINES EYE CATCHING WITH THE WOODEN BENCHES AND OPEN AIR WINDOWS. YOU PROBABLY SEEN IT DOWNTOWN, AND THE NO COST RIDES WERE A HEFTY INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO HOP ON BOARD. WE’VE LEARNED RECENTLY, THOUGH, RIDERSHIP IS DOWN FOR THESE TROLLEYS. ABOUT 100 RIDERS BELOW AVERAGE PER MONTH. GREENVILLE TRANSIT AUTHORITY SAYS A BIG FOCUS NOW IS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE TO BRING THE DEMAND BACK. IT WAS TO REALLY ENHANCE THE CHARACTER AND EXPERIENCE OF VISITING DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE OVER TIME. THAT NEED AND PERCEPTION HAS EVOLVED, AND I THINK THAT’S WHERE WE’RE AT TODAY, IS MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR BOTH THE TROLLEYS FUTURE AND OUR MOBILITY NEEDS. IN GREENVILLE, THE TROLLEY SYSTEM IS MAINTAINED USING TOURISM DOLLARS. STAFF SAY THEY’RE EXPECTED TO BRING THE CONVERSATION TO THE TABLE NEXT WEEK AFTER RECEIVING PUBLIC COMMENT LAST MONTH. MARCH MADNESS GAMES START TODAY IN GREENVILLE, WITH THE OVERALL NUMBER ONE SEED TAKING TO THE COURTS. ISABELLE MARK JOINS US LIVE THIS MORNING. THE BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA WITH EVERYTHING HAPPENING TODAY. GOOD MORNING. ISABELLE. YEAH HEY ERIN. DUKE IS JUST ONE OF THE TEAMS THAT WILL PLAY TODAY. THE BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA WITH THE DOORS OPENING STARTING AT 1045. AND THEN THE VERY FIRST GAME WILL BE AT 1215 TODAY THAT WILL BE TCU AND OHIO STATE. THOSE TEAMS WILL PLAY. AND THEN AT 2:50 P.M., THAT’S WHEN THE SIENNA AND DUKE GAME WILL FACE OFF. THAT’S THE FIRST SESSION. AND THEN THE SECOND SESSION ALSO HAS TWO GAMES. VCU WILL PLAY NORTH CAROLINA AT 650 TONIGHT, AND THEN PENN WILL TAKE ON ILLINOIS AT 925. AND THEN DEPENDING ON HOW ALL OF THESE GAMES GO, THAT WILL DETERMINE WHO PLAYS ON SATURDAY. NOW, TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR BOTH DAYS. YOU CAN FIND THOSE AT TICKETMASTER.COM, BUT FOR NOW, REPORTING LIVE IN GREENVILLE ISABELLE MARAK WYFF NEWS FOR. THANK YOU ISABELLE AND MARCH MADNESS IS A BIG DRAW FOR GAMBLERS AS WELL. BETTING ON THE TOURNAMENT IS PROJECTED TO HIT MORE THAN $3 BILLION EVEN WITHOUT PREDICTION, MARKETS ALLOW USERS TO TRADE ON YES OR NO OUTCOMES AND CAN OPERATE IN ALL 50 STATES. BUT AS SPORTS GAMBLING BECOMES MORE POPULAR, EXPERTS SAY ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS MAY BE COMING. THE DATA SHOWING THE PERVASIVENESS OF THE HARM. SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE DEVELOPED ABOUT THROWING GAMES AND MANIPULATING LINES AT COMPROMISING THE SANCTITY OF THE SPORTS THAT ARE BEING PLAYED, AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY NOT THAT HAPPY ABOUT THE PERVASIVENESS OF ALL THE ADS THEY SEE ONLINE OR WATCHING TV FOR SPORTS BETTING. SO MY GUESS IS THAT 4 OR 5 YEARS FROM NOW, WE’LL END UP WITH MORE REGULATION THAN WE HAVE TODAY, EVEN IF THAT’S NOT NECESSARILY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, EXPERTS SAY SOME OF THE 39 STATES WITH LEGAL SPORTS BETTING HAVE RULES IN PLACE TO TRY AND CURB PROBLEM BETTORS. THOSE ARE THE STATES HIGHLIGHTED IN GOLD. SOME OF THOSE REGULATIONS INCLUDE LIMITS ON MAKING DEPOSITS INTO ACCOUNTS, NOT ALLOWING BETS ON TEAMS WITHIN THE STATE, OR TAXING EACH INDIVIDUAL BET. AND AS OUR LOCAL TEAMS HEAD OUT TO THE TOURNAMENT, OUR SPORTS TEAM WILL BE WITH TH
Former custody officer at SC mental health facility accused of abusing vulnerable adult
Updated: 12:29 PM EDT Mar 19, 2026
A former employee at a behavioral health facility in Columbia, South Carolina, has been charged with abusing a vulnerable adult.According to the warrant, on or about Dec. 3, 2025, Vernon Leon Stewart, who was a custody officer at Wellpath Recovery Solutions on Farrow Road, grabbed a patient by the neck and took them to the floor. Stewart held the victim down on the floor by placing his knee on the victim’s lower back. When Stewart stood up to leave, he stepped onto the victim’s back to walk over them.Wellpath Recovery Solutions is a contracted provider for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities – Office of Mental Health.On Monday, March 16, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged the 62-year-old after Wellpath Recovery Solutions requested the investigation.Stewart was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County. The case will be prosecuted by the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.Keep up with what’s happening around our area by downloading the WYFF News 4 app on the App Store or Google Play.The arrest comes after SLED charged two former employees at the facility in February for another abuse incident that happened in 2025.The facility has also been the center of abuse investigations in 2024 and 2023.
COLUMBIA, S.C. —
A former employee at a behavioral health facility in Columbia, South Carolina, has been charged with abusing a vulnerable adult.
According to the warrant, on or about Dec. 3, 2025, Vernon Leon Stewart, who was a custody officer at Wellpath Recovery Solutions on Farrow Road, grabbed a patient by the neck and took them to the floor. Stewart held the victim down on the floor by placing his knee on the victim’s lower back. When Stewart stood up to leave, he stepped onto the victim’s back to walk over them.
Wellpath Recovery Solutions is a contracted provider for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities – Office of Mental Health.
On Monday, March 16, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged the 62-year-old after Wellpath Recovery Solutions requested the investigation.
Stewart was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County.
The case will be prosecuted by the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Keep up with what’s happening around our area by downloading the WYFF News 4 app on the App Store or Google Play.
The arrest comes after SLED charged two former employees at the facility in February for another abuse incident that happened in 2025.
The facility has also been the center of abuse investigations in 2024 and 2023.