A 31-year-old man is on the Anderson County Sheriff's Office Most Wanted list after allegedly stealing from a grocery store and then eluding deputies on a dirt bike, and investigators say he now has warrants stacked up in six different jurisdictions. Dale Robert Anderson Jr. has been named a Most Wanted suspect as authorities ask the public for help tracking him down.
According to deputies, as reported by FOX Carolina News, Anderson stole several items from an Anderson County grocery store on July 2 and left before deputies arrived to take the report. Under South Carolina Code § 16-13-120, the law allows officers and store owners to legally infer intentional shoplifting when a suspect willfully conceals unpurchased merchandise while still on store premises, according to Chris L. Jones law firm. Depending on the value of what was taken, South Carolina Code § 16-13-110 treats shoplifting under $2,000 as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or 30 days in jail, while merchandise valued between $2,000 and $10,000 bumps the charge to a felony.
Dirt Bike Chase Called Off For Safety
Four days later, on July 6, deputies spotted Anderson riding a dirt bike in Anderson County and attempted to stop him, per deputies. He eluded them, and deputies terminated the pursuit because of heavy traffic, per deputies.
That decision lines up with state law: South Carolina Code § 56-5-2360 requires motorists to yield the right of way and pull over near the right-hand curb when an emergency vehicle approaches with flashing blue lights or sirens, according to the Florence County Sheriff's Office. South Carolina law also addresses failing to stop for blue lights, according to the Florence County Sheriff's Office. South Carolina's enhanced 2026 pursuit law goes further for high-speed or evasive driving meant to dodge law enforcement, allowing for a felony charge carrying up to 10 years in prison and a one-year license suspension upon conviction, per the Florence County Sheriff's Office.
A Fugitive Wanted Well Beyond Anderson County
Anderson's legal troubles do not stop at the county line. He has outstanding warrants from five other jurisdictions, both in South Carolina and out of state, in addition to the shoplifting and failure-to-stop warrants tied to the July incidents.
The Anderson County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Bureau runs dedicated Fugitive Investigations and Directed Patrol units built specifically to track down suspects with outstanding warrants and to carry out proactive street enforcement, according to the sheriff's office. Anderson Area Crime Stoppers also functions as a clearinghouse that partners with eight municipal police departments across the county, including Belton, Honea Path, and Williamston, to help resolve warrant cases that cross jurisdictional lines.
How Tips Have Helped Before
The sheriff's office's official Most Wanted registry warns that every listed fugitive should be considered armed and dangerous, and it instructs the public not to attempt a personal apprehension but to contact law enforcement dispatch immediately instead.
Anonymous tips have paid off locally in the recent past. Between January and July 2026, Anderson Area Crime Stoppers received 437 anonymous tips that led to 15 arrests, 22 cleared cases, and the recovery of more than $144,000 in cash and stolen property. Tipsters can call the organization's 24-hour line at 1-866-917-TIPS or submit information through the P3Tips website.
Anyone with information about Anderson's whereabouts is asked to contact deputies or Crime Stoppers.
