Woman leaving grocery store is kidnapped and sexually assaulted, SC deputies say
An afternoon trip to the grocery store ended with a kidnapping and sexual assault for one woman Monday in Upstate South Carolina, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
It happened around 2:40 p.m. at the Ingles on Highway 81 in Anderson, about 110 miles northwest of Columbia, officials say.
The department announced Wednesday it arrested 44-year-old Jamaal Harvey of Anderson in connection with the case, according to a press conference broadcast by WSPA. Harvey faces charges of “criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature,” officials said.
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride described the attack as “violent” and “random,” and reported the woman “sustained some serious head injuries.” She remained in a hospital Wednesday, he said.
Harvey went before a judge Thursday and said he has a history of blackouts and has “no recollection of what happened,” WYFT reported. He apologized to the 60-year-old victim and her family during the appearance, the station reported.
Investigators say the incident began when the woman was grabbed from behind by a man in the parking lot of the store, located in north Anderson. The man choked her until she was unconscious and she awoke to find him driving her vehicle, McBride said at the press conference. The woman told police the man threatened to kill her if she looked at him, McBride said.
“The victim stated that the suspect drove her to an unknown location, where he physically and sexually assaulted her, before returning her to the Ingles parking lot at approximately 3:45 p.m.,” officials said. “The victim was attacked from behind and was unable to provide a detailed description of the male suspect.”
The department is asking anyone who saw something suspicious near the store Monday to call 864-260-4405 or contact CrimeStoppers at 1-888-274-6372.
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 8:18 AM with the headline "Woman leaving grocery store is kidnapped and sexually assaulted, SC deputies say."