Two men robbed on Broad

Two men, visitors to Charleston, were outside Oak Steakhouse near East Bay and Broad downtown when they were attacked and robbed Thursday night. Police quickly arrested Martez Rollerson based on witness descriptions. They say a second person was also involved, but no luck on finding that suspect yet.

From The Post and Courier:

The attack happened in the roadway near 7 Elliott St. around 9:45 p.m. One of the victims, a 20-year-old, was hit in the side of the head and was struck again after he fell to the ground, a police report says. One of the two robbers searched his pockets, taking a cell phone and $250 in cash.

One assailant also searched the second victim's pockets but found nothing, police said.

The attackers ran toward East Bay Street, then turned south, police said.

Also, Live 5 News has a report on how visitors can stay safe when walking downtown at night. The basic idea: Pay attention to what's happening around you. From Live 5:

More than one-million people will visit Charleston throughout the summer. Many towns see crimes rise when the summer tourism season starts. Charleston police say it's because more people are in town and safety isn't necessarily the top priority while on vacation.

...

"When they're on vacation they seem to be less security conscious about their belongings, just walking around all wide-eyed looking at scenery, and they're not paying attention to what they're carrying on them," said Charleston Police Sgt. Trevor Shelor.

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