Florida man ‘looking for his lady’ punches teen in face after attempted car burglary: WHPD

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Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A homeless man accused of pulling on car door handles in the parking lot of a Winter Haven Zaxby’s was arrested after police say he punched a 17-year-old boy whose father struck him and held him until law enforcement arrived.

The backstory:

Around 9 p.m. on Saturday, Winter Haven police went to Zaxby’s located at 797 3rd St SW to investigate a reported suspicious incident and said they found a woman pacing frantically on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

According to the Winter Haven Police Department, the woman told deputies that a man, later identified as 34-year-old Jamaal Michael Grayson, opened the back door of her truck and saw her 17-year-old son sitting inside.

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She told police that when Grayson saw the teen, he left the truck and tried to open two more vehicle doors int eh parking lot.

Police said the truck’s owner and his son confronted Grayson, who started running toward Highway 17.

As they entered Highway 17, police said Grayson turned and punched the 17-year-old in the face, knocking him to the ground in a travel lane of Highway 17.

Officers said the owner of the truck pursued Grayson and caught up with him in the parking lot of a Longhorn Steakhouse. That’s where, according to police, Grayson swung at the victim and the victim punched Grayson, causing him to fall and allowing the victim to hold Grayson until officers arrived.

Initially, according to WHPD, Grayson denied being at Zaxby’s but changed his story, saying he was there ‘looking for his lady’.

Dig deeper:

Police said Grayson told them that a group of people was chasing him and he pushed someone down in the road, but he couldn’t say who he pushed.

Grayson has had a prior felony battery conviction from October 2019 and a criminal mischief charge from last month, according to WHPD.

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Officers said they found a glass pipe with a burnt exterior and white residue that tested positive for methamphetamine in Grayson’s pants pocket.

Grayson was arrested and charged with attempted burglary of an occupied vehicle, child abuse not resulting in great bodily harm, possession of methamphetamine, criminal mischief less than $1,000, prior conviction, felony battery and possession of drug paraphernalia.