Four suspects were arrested early yesterday morning for the attempted burglary of a Bluffton restaurant.

Michael J. Beecham	Craig M. Yellich	Luzelle Stoudemire, III	Kevin K. Gillespie

Eighteen-year-old Michael Joseph Beecham, 18-year-old Craig Michael Yellich, 23-year-old Luzelle Stoudemire, III, and 21-year-old Kevin Kolmallo Gillespie (all of Bluffton) were arrested just before 1:00 am yesterday morning as they attempted to leave the Upper Crust restaurant.

Moments earlier, deputies were dispatched to a reported burglary in progress at the restaurant. An employee, 37-year-old Russell Dunbar, told deputies that he had been sitting at the bar watching a basketball game after closing up for the night when he heard what sounded like someone trying to make entry to the restaurant through a rear locked door. When he looked out a rear window to check, he saw two individuals trying to break into the business. Dunbar fled through a side door and immediately contacted 9-1-1.

As deputies responded to the scene, they made contact with a gold Honda Civic occupied by 4 subjects, driving down an access road behind the restaurant with no headlights on. At that time, a traffic stop was conducted, and all four of the vehicle's occupants detained.

Two of the vehicle's occupants, driver Michael Beecham and passenger Craig Yellich, were found to be unlawfully carrying concealed weapons (butterfly knives). As deputies continued to investigate the attempted burglary, they discovered that the restaurant's front outer louvered doors were unsecured and the metal double doors behind them were standing open. Both the wooden doors and the metal double doors appeared to have been forcibly opened.

While nothing appeared to have been taken from the restaurant, it did appear as if suspect(s) may have been able to make entry to the restaurant as some items appeared to have been moved.

Based on the evidence recovered at the scene and numerous inconsistencies in the statements made by the suspects, all four men were placed under arrest for 2nd degree Burglary. In addition, Beecham and Yellich were also charged with Carrying a Concealed Weapon for the butterfly knives found on their persons.

All four suspects currently remain in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center . Beecham and Yellich are both being held on $16,000 bond, while Gillespie and Stoudemire remain on $15,000 bond.