A South Carolina man was nabbed for kidnapping a woman from a grocery store parking lot and then sexually assaulting her in a violent daytime attack, authorities said.
Jamaal Harvey, 44, allegedly attacked the woman from behind as she was preparing to leave the Ingles grocery store around 2:40 p.m. Monday in Anderson County, news station WSPA reported.
Harvey placed a rope around the woman’s throat and choked her until she was unconscious, authorities said.
He then drove her to another location, where he allegedly physically and sexually assaulted her, the outlet reported.
The woman later told authorities that during the attack, he threatened to kill her if she even looked in his direction, news station WHNS reported.
Around an hour later, he dropped her off back at the supermarket, authorities said.
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride said Harvey and the woman were complete strangers.
“It’s rare that we see a case like this,” McBride said, adding that in most sexual assault cases that the agency investigates, the suspect and victim know each other, WHNS reported.
Harvey claimed to have no memory of the attack when he appeared Thursday in court — where he apologized to the victim and insisted he was “not a monster.”
“I know all the evidence points to me. I have no recollection of what happened. But I know all the evidence points to me,” he said, WHNS reported.
“I would love to greatly apologize to the victim and the family. This isn’t me, I’m not a monster. I’ve had histories of blacking out. Again I would love to apologize to the family and friends of this person.”
Harvey faces charges for criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, the outlets reported.
If convicted of the charges, he faces up to 80 years in prison, WHNS reported.