SOUTH CAROLINA — Police have arrested a man accused of abducting a woman at gunpoint outside the Dorman Centre Walmart in Spartanburg and attempting to sexually assault her.
Officers with the Spartanburg Police Department were called to the store around 4:45 p.m. on Nov. 29. When they arrived, they found a woman who was visibly shaken and showing signs of trauma. Because she spoke limited English, a Ukrainian-speaking officer was brought in to assist with translation.
According to police, the woman and her daughter had been loading shopping bags into their vehicle when an unknown man approached them. The suspect allegedly displayed a handgun and demanded the woman’s cellphone. After she handed it over, the man forced her into his vehicle at gunpoint.
Investigators said the suspect drove behind the shopping center, exposed himself, and attempted to force the victim to perform a sexual act. The woman refused and, despite the suspect’s continued attempts, managed to escape. She ran back to her vehicle, where her daughter was waiting, and flagged down two bystanders who called 911.
On Wednesday around 12:30 p.m., Spartanburg police and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office located and arrested the suspect at his residence on Dills Farm Way in Greer. He has been identified as 32-year-old Justin Alexander McKittrick.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC or the Spartanburg Police Department at (864) 596-2065.
