Man walking with girlfriend attacked early Sunday morning
Columbia police are looking for three men in connection to an assault near Five Points earlier this week.
At about 2:15 a.m. Sunday, 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, who had been drinking according to the report, 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 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'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.
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.
Whether the two victims are USC students is not clear, Columbia police spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said.
The report categorizes the incident as third-degree assault and battery.
Now, police are looking for three men they spotted in Five Points surveillance video. They appear to be following the couple in the video, Timmons said.
Investigators think they're connected to the assault, she said, but they're not sure how.
"We can't say 100 percent that these are the people who did it," Timmons said.
Police are offering up to a $1,000 reward for tips submitted on Crimestoppers that help track down the suspect, according to the release.
To report tips
Police are asking anyone who has information about the Sunday morning assault to submit tips to Crimestoppers.
To send in a tip anonymously:
Call 1-888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372).
Visit midlandscrimestoppers.com.
Text CRIMES (274637), and begin your messages with "TIPSC."