MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – A man is behind bars after he allegedly pulled out a gun at a Myrtle Beach candy store over a return dispute this week.
Myrtle Beach police were called around 11:10 p.m. Wednesday to Sugar Life Ice Cream & Candy Bar on South Kings Highway for a weapons law violation.
Joshua Kim, 36, went into the candy store and argued with two employees over returning candy, according to arrest warrants.
When one of the employees told Kim they couldn’t give him a refund, he pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot the two staffers, the warrants state.
A manager at Sugar Life said they don’t do returns on candy, and they make that clear during the check-out process.
“He said, ‘I put a chunk in your head if you don’t bring me back my money, right now. It’s no lie. It’s no lie,’” said Edilson Mejia, an employee at Sugar Life.
Management said the incident also unfolded in front of some visitors, putting both employees and children in danger as well.
“This is a candy store for families, for kids. It’s not for other people, drugs or, other things,” said Mejia.
Police said they reviewed surveillance footage at the scene, and it corroborated what the employees had told them.
Officers also arrested Kim and a woman, Chelsie Lowe, 35, later that night at a resort on Ocean Boulevard.
Police searched a truck at the resort and said they found 0.41 grams of cocaine and weed inside, leading to drug charges for Kim and a single drug charge for Lowe.
This is the same truck that Kim and Lowe were seen leaving another “related incident” in with three kids in the car, the warrants state.
It is unclear if that “related incident” was the incident at the candy store.
The mother of one of Kim’s children, Mallory George said she’s disappointed at the situation.
“All I could do was thank God. Like, thank God that my son was not there. Because I don’t know what I would have done,” said mother, Mallory George.
While Sugar Life staff continue to recover from the tense situation, George said she hopes Kim will get the help he needs, behind bars.
“It’s not okay, so honestly, the best place for him is to be in jail. Maybe he can get his mind right, sober up, do something with his life, so my son can have a father,” said George.
Along with the drug charges, police charged Kim with two counts of pointing and presenting firearms at a person and unlawful conduct toward a child.
As of writing, Kim is at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center under a bond of over $750,000.
Lowe posted bail for $615 for her drug charge and was released from the Myrtle Beach jail Thursday.
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