Armed Threats With Firearm, Machete Disrupt Myrtle Beach Businesses

Two separate violent incidents in Myrtle Beach led to the arrests of Michael Ray Thompson and Ladalyon Mycovan Stackhouse. Thompson, 48, was charged with kidnapping, threatening to kill or injure with firearms and a bomb, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after forcing a victim into his vehicle at gunpoint and making threats at a motel. Stackhouse, 33, was arrested for armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after entering a downtown coffee shop with a machete, demanding money or a cellphone while threatening to "chop up" the victim. Thompson is held on a $110,000 bond, while Stackhouse remains jailed without bond on the robbery charge. Both incidents occurred within days of each other in late September 2025 and underscore ongoing concerns about violent crime in the Myrtle Beach area. Authorities continue to investigate and hold the suspects at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.