Cayce, SC – The Cayce Department of Public Safety has arrested the two women who were seen and recorded defacing a part of the Cayce Riverwalk this week. On Monday, June 8, 2020, the two women painted on public property and when confronted by police, tried to incite Cayce’s officer into a verbal or physical confrontation. He did not take the bait and remained polite and calm during the entire encounter.
During the June 8th incident, both suspects were uncooperative and verbally aggressive toward officers, stating they were part of “a revolution” and telling the officers that they were “going down.” One of the suspects even opened her blouse and showed the officer both her breasts. From the body cam footage and audio, it was clear that at several points the two suspects became disorderly and one cursed in a loud voice throughout most of the incident so that anyone, including her own child in a stroller, could clearly hear her.
A few days later, the City of Cayce released all dashcam and bodycam videos from all of their officers who were involved to the public in order to represent the facts and full interaction with two females suspected of vandalizing the Cayce Riverwalk on Monday. They were not edited in any way and the city was 100% transparent in every way. (See videos and that story)
During the encounter with the suspects, the Cayce officer approached the women that matched the description of the suspects leaving the Riverwalk. The women refused to identify themselves, became erratic, and one of the women falsely accused an officer of “standing on her neck.” The videos clearly show he was not. At that time, the investigation was ongoing. Video also clearly shows at one point one of the suspects covered in paint that appears identical to the paint used to deface the bridge.
At some point, the women either recorded, or had someone record and post a video of themselves committing the crime on the social media platform Tik-Tok. In that video, sent to The Lexington Ledger by an anonymous source, it clearly shows one of the women defacing a bridge abutment while the other suspect narrates. At some point, they both the had the same orange paint from the bridge in clear view on them in the video posted to that site. That site was apparently set up by Yasmin Mwamba, one of the suspects that was arrested as it was clearly marked with her picture and name in its profile. See that video here LINK.
On Thursday, June 11, 2020, both suspected females were taken into police custody. Yasmin Kasongo Mwamba, 26, and Deeaira Golda Kraus, 24, both of Columbia, were arrested and charged with Malicious Injury to Real Property and Public Disorderly Conduct.
The Cayce Department of Public Safety was assisted by the Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force who located both females shortly after 1:00 PM.
Both women were brought into the headquarters of the Cayce Department of Public Safety, photographed, and processed. The two women were booked into the Lexington County Detention Center late Thursday afternoon. They will be there until a bond hearing is held.
