When South Carolina deputies arrested Brian Gilbert for stealing food from a supermarket deli, he was 18 years old, homeless, and living in the woods.
Gilbert said she was unsure of her direction in life, missed more school than she attended, and slept in a tent behind a shopping center in the Midland area.
One night in prison changed his life forever.
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U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Brian Gilbert, a Marine Corps Engineer School student from Gilbert, South Carolina, is pictured Aug. 15, 2024, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Gilbert will join the Marine Corps in March 2024 and is undergoing training. Utility systems technician. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Corporal Zachary Candiani)
Lexington County Deputy John Sanders took Gilbert to jail, but did not let the conflict end there.
“What he needed most was struggling to get food,” Sanders said Friday in a video shared by the sheriff's office to commemorate all three on Veterans Day. “And he had no job that would bring him income.” weekend.
He contacted Sergeant John Johnson, a local Marine Corps recruiter. Brent Latham asked what he could do.
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Lexington County Sheriff's Deputy John Sanders recalled an encounter with Brian Gilbert, a homeless teen he arrested for stealing food from a supermarket deli. After consulting with a local Marine recruiter, he helped Gilbert turn his life around. (Lexington County Sheriff's Office)
“Lt. Sanders called me and said, 'Hey, there's a kid in a really bad situation and he wants to know if you can help,'” Latham said. “I had a description of what this young man looked like. I rolled down the window and said, 'Hey, are you Brian?' He said, 'Yes, sir.' And I told him to come in.”
“He raised the Marine Corps,” Gilbert said. “So I thought, 'I'll just give it a go.' I met with the recruiter, signed the papers, and I mean, this turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be.”
Sanders, who is in the U.S. Army Reserve, said the solution is simple.
Vice President John Sanders shakes Private First Class Brian Gilbert's hand as he graduates from boot camp in May 2024. (Courtesy of Lexington County Sheriff's Office)
“From my experience in the military, you're fed, you're given a place to sleep, and you're paid in return,” he said.
Gilbert completed basic training at Parris Island and graduated in May, and both Saunders and Latham were there to cheer him on.
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U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Brent Latham, pictured, met Gilbert at Starbucks after his arrest. After that, the boy enlisted in the army. (Lexington County Sheriff's Office)
Now stationed at Camp Lejeune, he said he still maintains regular contact with Sanders.
“I talk to him all the time,” Gilbert said. “He's the perfect person to go to. I can talk to him about anything and he's always there to just listen.”
U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Brian Gilbert, a Marine Corps Engineer School student and native of Gilbert, South Carolina, repairs a generator at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Aug. 15, 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Corporal Zachary Candiani)
The sheriff's office calls Gilbert's case a “beautiful success story” that shows how authorities can make a positive difference in the lives of young people.
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“It took a phone call from my lieutenant to a Marine Corps recruiter to take someone from a dire situation in the woods to a regular career and paycheck,” Latham said. “One phone call absolutely makes a difference.”
