Wanted Hilton Head man behind Circle K attack taken into custody overnight after search
Deputies from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office arrested wanted Hilton Head man, Austin Radel, Tuesday night after a five hour search on the island.
Starting just before 3 p.m., deputies started their search for Radel, 39, in the Squire Pope, Wild Horse and Gumtree Road areas on the north end of the island. He was located around 8 p.m. and taken into custody, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Radel was charged with third-degree assault and battery by mob resulting in bodily injury in January for an attack that occurred last August at the Circle K gas station on Lagoon Road, located a quarter-mile from Coligny Beach Park.
South Carolina statute defines a “mob” as a group of two or more people who commit a premeditated act of violence. Third-degree assault and battery by mob is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison under South Carolina law.
He was arrested after getting pulled over in January for unlawfully changing lanes near the intersection of U.S. 278 and Whooping Crane Way, located near the Hilton Head Island Airport.
The deputy who pulled him over discovered Radel had an active arrest warrant for assault stemming from the August 2024 attack and his license had been suspended Dec. 25 for failing to pay a traffic ticket, according to previous reporting from The Island Packet.
Documents show that Radel missed a court date, failed to comply with court orders or did not pay fines while out on bond.
A warrant was then issued for Radel’s arrest. The warrant was filed on May 7, according to court records.
