North Charleston, South Carolina – Police are looking for an alleged would-be shoplifter who injured two grocery store employees on Friday night.
At approximately 8:10 p.m. on Friday, police arrived to the Ladson Road Food Lion on a report of an employee lying face down on the pavement following a dispute.
When cops arrived, they reported that the employee was sitting up with a significant bruise on his forehead.
According to investigators, a man entered the business wearing a pulled-up hood and a ski mask. According to the incident report, the man proceeded through the store until he arrived at the checkout, when a staffer rang up his items, which totaled $417.31.
Employees told police that after the man’s card was declined, he pushed the cart out of the store without paying.
According to the report, a female employee followed the man out of the store to try to obtain his license plate number, while the male employee followed her to ensure her safety.
The employees informed police that the man shoved the cart toward the female employee before punching the male employee several times in the head, knocking him out. He then hit the woman in the head, threw her down, and climbed on top of her while she attempted to get him off her, according to the complaint.
While holding the employee down, the male snatched her smartphone before fleeing to his white Jeep Compass and driving down Miles Jamison Road toward Summerville, according to the report.
Police drove to the home where the phone was pinged, but no one there matched the suspect’s description. Police discovered the woman’s phone in a ditch in the front yard of the property.
Police described the man as 6 feet, 2 inches tall and heavyset, and stated his white Jeep Compass had black window tint, a tinted tag cover, and a damaged rear taillight.
Anyone with information is asked to call the North Charleston Police Department tip line at 843-607-2076.
