GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) – The Goose Creek Police Department (GCPD) on Wednesday arrested a man accused of carjacking a victim he met via an online video game.
Sterling Christopher Butler (20) is facing charges of armed robbery in connection to the 2021 incident, in which a victim alleged that Butler and three other men held him at gunpoint and demanded his car.
The victim said that he had been talking to someone he met online playing Fortnite, and the two planned to meet up and play video games together. Once the victim told Butler he had arrived, four armed men approached and told him to get out. The victim complied, and the men drove away.
According to the report, the victim did not know the identity of the person he was talking to, only the screenname, and that person blocked the victim after the encounter.
Meanwhile, the vehicle, which was listed as stolen, was discovered after being towed from a North Charleston apartment complex.
Investigators worked for months to track screennames and phone numbers associated with the incident, finally identifying Butler as a suspect.
A warrant was issued for Butler’s arrest in December of 2021.
On Wednesday, Butler was located at Trident Medical Center and was taken into custody.