A Lexington County man has been arrested after a string of car vandalism.

Daniel Lee Ennis, 31, was arrested Feb. 14, with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department initially announcing that charges for the more than 30 cars he was connected to vandalizing were forthcoming.

As of Feb. 17, Ennis was listed on the Lexington County Detention Center website as facing 38 charges for malicious injury to animals or property (less than $2,000), along with a charge for unauthorized solicitation of a ride. 

Ennis remained in the jail as of Feb. 17, per its website, with $5,000 cash surety bonds set for each injury to property charge, totaling $190,000.

In a Feb. 15 release, the department states Ennis was found with white spray paint on his hands and shoes by deputies during a follow-up investigation into vandalism of cars in Red Bank.

“Based on the work of deputies throughout some Nazareth Road neighborhoods Wednesday, we’ve connected Ennis to more than 30 vandalism cases that happened early Wednesday morning,” Koon is quoted. “All the vehicles were painted with white spray paint on various parts and body panels.”

According to a provided text from an arrest warrant, it would cost around $1,000 to repair each of the vehicles.

“The defendant was identified following an investigation in which a witness confirmed that Daniel admitted to this crime,” the provided text states. “The defendant placed himself in the area, verbally confirmed his clothing which matched the suspect description observed on video.”

According to the release, Ennis was panhandling near an Interstate 20 exit when deputies encountered him.

A provided incident report states that Ennis was standing on the roadway side of the guardrail and was holding a sign that read, “homeless,” and upon being confronted by deputies Ennis admitted to holding the sign and being on the roadway to “make ends meet.”

The report states that Ennis told deputies that he was on Nazareth Road at his mother’s residence. During this conversation, deputies observed white paint on his hands and crocks.

Ennis was initially booked into the detention center on an unauthorized ride solicitation charge, with Capt. Adam Myrick, public information officer for the department, telling the Chronicle Feb. 16 that Ennis had already appeared in bond court for the ride solicitation charge. Per the jail website, a cash surety bond of $232.50 was set for that charge, which was listed, without the injury to property charges, as of that afternoon.