Women charged with assault on woman on lower Saluda River

Three women have been charged with assaulting another woman recently on the lower Saluda River.

Arlinda Craft, 18, Anns Leigh Hill, 19, and Megan Williams, 20, have been charged with assault and battery by a mob, according to Columbia police.

Police announced Monday that the three had been charged in connection with a March 15 assault which injured the unidentified victim, including a concussion and cuts. The incident happened off of Candi Lane near the river, officials said.

The victim told police she was there with a coworker when a high school acquaintance – with whom she’d had previous difficulty – approached, according to the incident report. One woman pulled the victim up by her hair, then threw her to the ground with the help of the other two suspects, the victim told police.

When thrown down, the victim hit her head and passed out, according to the report. When she regained consciousness, she was unable to walk.

A witness told police that the victim was sitting on a rock when one woman approached and slapped her across the face. When the victim stood and tried to fight the assailant, the two other women held her back and then threw her down on the rocks, according to the report.

The witness told police the three women struck the victim many times while she was down on the ground, then left as medical responders arrived.

This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 10:36 AM.