South Carolina

Teen charged with robbing two Columbia businesses on same day, SC officials say

A teenager was recently arrested after two businesses in South Carolina were robbed on the same day, according to the Columbia Police Department.

John F. Wise Jr. was charged with two counts each of armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after robberies occurred at a Pizza Hut restaurant and Food Lion grocery store in Columbia, police said in a news release.

Wise is a 19-year-old Columbia resident whose House Street residence is near both businesses, Richland County court records show.

The robberies happened June 29 at the restaurant on Forest Drive and the supermarket on Harden Street in the Five Points area, according to the release. The businesses are separated by less than a mile.

No injuries were reported in either of the robberies, police said.

There was no word about what type of weapon, or weapons, were used in the robberies, or at what time of day they occurred.

Information about how police connected Wise to the armed robberies was not available, but he was arrested Monday, jail records show.

Bond was set at $100,000, and Wise remains behind bars at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to jail records.

Wise is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 26, Richland County judicial records show.

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This story was originally published July 23, 2025 at 9:06 AM with the headline "Teen charged with robbing two Columbia businesses on same day, SC officials say."

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Noah Feit
The State
Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription
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