White couple arrested for attacking interracial couple, Richland County deputies say
A white couple that used racist slurs and attacked an interracial couple in Columbia last week, sending them to the hospital, was arrested, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.
John Kingkade, 38, and his wife, Krystal Kingkade, 37, were at their home Wednesday night when they were taken into custody, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
They were each charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of first-degree assault and battery, jail records show.
The attack happened April 10 in the Dollar Tree parking lot at 8921 Two Notch Road, the sheriff’s department said. That’s about a mile away from Interstate 77.
The female victim was at an area hospital when she told deputies she and her boyfriend were cut off at a red light on Two Notch Road by a couple in a Mercedes C-Class.
The Mercedes driver motioned for the victims to pull over into the Dollar Tree parking lot, according to the release.
Once there, John Kingkade got out of his vehicle, approached the victims’ car, and began shouting racial slurs at them, the sheriff’s department said. He also kicked and dented the door of the interracial couple’s car, according to an incident report.
When the male victim got out of his car and tried to take a picture of the Mercedes’ license plate, Kingkade assaulted him, knocking him to the ground, the incident report said. When the female victim came to his aid, Krystal Kingkade assaulted her, according to the news release.
Both victims’ phones were taken during the altercation by the Kingkades, who then left the scene, the sheriff’s department said.
Witnesses saw the attack, took video and called police. A witness followed the attackers when they drove off and saw them stop about a mile away, where the woman got out of the car and ran into a wooded area.
Paramedics transported both victims to a hospital, the report said. The male victim had major injuries, including multiple cuts, and underwent surgery. The female victim had minor injuries.
The Kingkades were both booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, jail records show. As of 12:30 p.m. Thursday, no bond had been the Kingkades remained behind bars.
Following their bond hearings, John Kingkade is next scheduled to appear in a Richland County court on the charges on May 14, while Krystal Kingkade is not going to appear before a judge again until May 21, court records show.
In 2003, John Kingkade pleaded guilty to a drug charge and had a 5-year prison sentence suspended, and was ordered to serve 2 years of probation instead, court records show.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published April 15, 2021 at 12:57 PM.
