Police: 3 men may be connected with attack
Police have identified three persons of interest they think may be connected to last week’s assault near Five Points.
At about 2:15 a.m. on Aug. 19, a 23-year-old man and his girlfriend were walking up Wheat Street from Five Points when three white men yelled for his attention, according to an incident report.
The victim turned around and reached out to shake one of the men’s hand. That man grabbed his arm, took him to the ground and began punching him in the face, the report said.
The victim’s girlfriend jumped on the suspect’s back, and he threw her off, according to the report. The other two men stood by and watched, she told police.
Police announced Thursday they were looking for three men they spotted in Five Points surveillance video. They appeared to be following the couple in the video, Columbia police spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said.
“We can’t say 100 percent that these are the people who did it,” Timmons said.
The suspect is thought to be between 20 and 25 years old, with a shaved head, according to the report. He was last seen in a white T-shirt and blue jeans, the report said.
The victim was taken to the emergency room at Palmetto Baptist Hospital, where he was treated for bruising and swelling on his left eye and later released, according to a release.
Police are offering up to a $1,000 reward for tips submitted on Crimestoppers that help track down the suspect, according to the release.