Authorities Arrest Woman Suspected of Assault, Robbery

A Columbia woman faces strong-armed robbery and first-degree assault charges after she befriended and helped an elderly woman with her shopping in a local grocery store, then allegedly beat her with a tin of pineapple and stole $300. 

Investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said late Tuesday they had arrested and charged Whitney Deandra Wilson, 21, of 326 Forest Grove Lane, Columbia, in connection with the crime, which happened this past Saturday at the Food Lion store at 534 St. Andrews Rd.

"What's unique about this crime? What's unique is this subject befriends this lady and then takes her out and hits her in the head with -- groceries," said LCSD Maj. George Brothers. 

"It's really an awful crime, where a subject spends that much time with her," Brothers added. "Watching some of the store video, you can see her going up and down the aisles with this lady, who was in a little motorized cart, a wheelchair. She's going up and down the aisles getting groceries for her, and helping her out. Just like they were long-lost buddies."

According to an LCSD incident report, and eyewitness testimony, the encounter between the two women seemed the epitome of the Good Samaritan.

A cashier who remembered the pair from that night recalled that she saw the suspect help Canady bag her groceries. Afterward, Canady asked the suspect if she needed a ride. The cashier, the incident report stated, said the two women left the store together, "talking as if they were childhood friends."

Then everything changed.  

The victim, Linda Sarvis Canady, 64, of 725 Tara Trail, Columbia, told officers the suspect originally approached her in the store, saw her in a mechanized wheel chair and asked to help her shop. Canady said the suspect went through the checkout with her, and then offered to load the groceries into Canady's car. 

Then, the incident report stated, "the victim then sat in the driver's seat and started the air conditioner. The suspect then 'came out of nowhere' and 'cold-cocked' the victim on her forehead with the can that the suspect had pulled out of the bag."

In addition to the injury, Canady also told authorities she fell unconscious for a few moments. When she came to, she said she saw the suspect running away with her wallet -- which contained approximately $300.

Canady says the suspect ran toward a nearby apartment complex, and that she drove into the complex in an attempt to find her, but lost sight of her.

When EMS and deputies responded to Canady's call, the victim was found sitting in her white Lincoln Town Car at her address. "Her white shirt was stained red with a large amount of blood that was beginning to pool on her chest. She was bleeding profusely from the fore head (sic), where she was trying to hold a paper towel," the incident report stated.

Canady was later hospitalized, but is expected to recover, authorities said.

Brothers said it took still photos from store video that were shown to area businesses to eventually identify Wilson as the suspect and enable authorities to apprehend her.

The Food Lion and other businesses are located in Richardson Plaza, a strip-shopping area located about a half-mile from the Lexington-Richland county line, Brothers said.

Lexington County Sheriff James Metts stated: "This is an excellent example of how successful cooperation between the public can be. The cooperation of Food Lion and other area businesses were essential in the capture of Ms. Wilson."