7-year-old girl hit in Mount Dora store outburst

Mount Dora police search for woman who punched clerk, injured girl

MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Mount Dora police are trying to find the woman caught on video having a wild outburst at a store, and then punching a clerk and injuring a 7-year-old girl.

It happened Monday at the A-Plus Food Mart on State Road Old US 441.

The little girl's family thinks Tina Roberts never meant to hit their child, but they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The attack began over an argument about making change into bills. Roberts is seen on video standing at the register with a jar of coins she wanted changed into bills, said police. Suddenly, she is seen knocking items off the shelf and leaving the store.

The store clerk followed her outside and asked a family sitting nearby to call 911.

When Danya Bennett saw the store clerk run outside needing help catching a berserk customer, she called 911. But she never thought she and her daughter would get caught in the middle of the angry woman's fury. Store security video shows the lady punch the clerk and police said she smacked the child in the process.

"It hurt," said Kameryn Johnson, whose face was red from the attack.

Tina Roberts was recently arrested for violating a domestic violence injunction and left jail just two weeks before the store attack.

"I think she saw my daughter, but do I think she cared? No. But to do it in front of a child and knowing that she could be caught in that crossfire was a reckless endangerment on her part. It was her choice to swing," said Bennett.

Roberts' ex-husband told Local 6 he was not surprised by her behavior, but does not think she meant to hurt a child.

Police plan to charge her with simple battery and disorderly conduct once she is arrested.


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