DAVIE, Fla. – A South Florida family says their trip to Trader Joe’s turned into a nightmare after a complete stranger ambushed their 9-year-old son outside of the store.
Police said the suspect’s weapon of choice was a grocery bag containing a cucumber.
The attack happened Saturday at the Trader Joe’s at 2296 S. University Drive in Davie, an arrest report states.
“All of a sudden, we saw this person whack my son in the side of his face,” the boy’s father, who only wanted to be identified by his first name, Stuart, said.
Police said Nicole Odella Betty, 40, of Miami Gardens, approached the boy with a bag containing frozen blueberries and an English cucumber.
“How could somebody do this?” Stuart said. “Especially to a 9-year-old?”
The boy’s father said Betty hit his son with so much force that the cucumber broke in half. Betty is now facing a child abuse charge.
The arrest report states that the responding officer believes that Betty was suffering from mental illness.
Police said she told officers, “They walked into my bag,” “They planned this,” “They came at me,” “They’re gang members.”
Davie police said the attack was random and unprovoked.
“To watch your child get assaulted in front of you, you just feel really helpless,” Stuart said.
Betty appeared before a judge and was given a bond.
Local 10 News checked into her criminal history and found a 2019 criminal mischief charge in Aventura, along with a trespassing charge.
The family says there were no surveillance cameras in that area of the plaza to capture the beatdown. Stuart says the incident has wrecked his family’s sense of security.
“We want justice for our child,” Stuart said. “We want to see her put away so she doesn’t do this to anybody else ever again.”
The boy’s parents said they’re upset because Betty posted bond. They said they plan to take full legal action and want her prosecuted.