Columbia police searching for man accused of assaulting woman in front of child

The Columbia Police Department is searching for a suspect accused of physically assaulting a female acquaintance multiple times in front of a child at a Forest Drive amusement center.

The suspect, 28-year-old Joseph Anderson Jr., allegedly pointed a gun at a “Good Samaritan” when they tried to help the victim, according to police. Special Victims Unit investigators have arrest warrants for the suspect.

Police didn’t specify exactly where the alleged assault took place.

Anderson Jr. is considered armed and dangerous, police said, and encouraged anyone with information on his whereabouts to call 1-888-CRIME-SC.

This is a breaking news story. Details will be added as they are released.

Riley Edenbeck

The State

Riley Edenbeck is a reporting intern for The State newspaper. She is from Chicago and now travels between Columbia and Charleston. She is a master’s student at the University of South Carolina studying data and communication, and she graduated from the USC journalism school in 2024. She has reported for National Mortgage News in New York City, won awards for her coverage at the Carolina News and Reporter, and was a managing editor of The Daily Gamecock.