COLUMBIA, S.C. — A 57-year-old man has been arrested for stalking and threatening South Carolina state Rep. Seth Rose and his family.

The man, Dewayne Simmons, of Blythewood, is being held at Richland County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on Bluff Road. His alleged motive not known.

Rose and his family, which includes three children, have not been harmed.

Rose was not named in press release the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division issued about Simmons’ arrest around noon Frida. But The State newspaper has confirmed he was the object of Simmons’ alleged threats.

A warrant in the case said: “Between the dates of Feb. 12, 2026, and April 15, 2026, Dewayne Simmons, willfully and knowingly authored written communications to the victim via the United States Postal Service, which contained a threat to the life of a public official.

“Between the dates of Feb. 12, 2026, and April 15, 2026, Sımmons used the United States Postal Service to deliver letters to the victim.

“The letters contained intimate details about the victim’s everyday life, places of employment, and children’s school. Specifically, one letter contained language that referred to potential vantage points near the victim’s employment and the use of a “silencer,” a warrant in the case said.

The threats against Rose and his family had continued for months as SLED worked to identify the source of the threats, according to evidence in the case.

The charge against Simmons is a state law that prohibits “threatening the life, person or family of an official,” according to public records. The maximum penalty under state law for someone found guilty of this offense is a $5,000 fine or five years in prison, or both.

In recent weeks, law enforcement, including the Columbia police department, have overseen a heightened level of protection for Rose and his family while SLED investigators tracked down the source of the threats.

SLED has not said how it identified Simmons as a suspect.

Rose, 45, is a popular House Democratic lawmaker and former member of the Richland County council. A former prosecutor with the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s office, he is a criminal defense attorney who handles cases in both state and federal court.

An eight-year veteran House member, Rose reflects the moderate to liberal views of his constituents in the Shandon area of Columbia. He is known for helping bring state money to finance improvements in his district such as the street upgrades in the Five Points commercial district.

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