Inset: Shanika Serdahl (Orange County Sheriff’s Office). Background: A 7-Eleven in Orlando, Fla. (Google Maps).
A woman was recently arrested in Florida after attacking a man with a can of Pringles and possibly causing him “permanent disfigurement,” law enforcement in the Sunshine State say.
Shanika Serdahl, 28, stands accused of one count of aggravated battery, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred on Thursday, at a 7-Eleven on International Drive in Orlando, according to an arrest affidavit.
A deputy arrived in response to a call about a “physical fight” at the convenience store, the court document says.
The victim, a man, told the deputy that “a male approached him and made a comment to him about his vehicle,” according to the affidavit. Then, inside the store, the victim asked the defendant “if she was with the man” who had inquired about his vehicle, police said.
Somewhat abruptly, the narrative accounts for violence.
“[The victim] stated that Shanika eventually struck him in the eye with a Pringles chip can and took off running,” the affidavit reads. “While speaking with [the victim] I observed that [the victim] had a significant cut on his right eyebrow and below his eye, causing him to bleed. The cut looked significant and appeared that it would leave a scar and permanent disfigurement.”
Later, law enforcement caught up with Serdahl south of the 7-Eleven.
After the victim identified her as the alleged culprit, she was detained and brought back to the scene of the crime, authorities say.
“I asked Shanika what happened and she advised me that while inside the 7-Eleven [the victim] was saying rude things to her and being disrespectful,” the deputy writes. “Shanika said [the victim] at one point called her a c–––. Shanika admitted that due to [the victim] being rude to her she hit him.”
The man who was attacked, however, said he was not being rude at all.
“As I pulled up to the 7-Eleven there was a guy sitting outside and as I got out the car he said something under his breath so I ignored him and walked into the 7-Eleven,” the victim told the deputy. As I was standing in line there was a young lady in front of me talking to the cashier she seemed like she has been drinking. So she stood to the side and as I was about to pay for my drink and I asked the young lady if she knew the guy outside.”
The victim told police Serdahl then “turned around and hit me in my eye and above my eye with a Pringles chip can and split my brow above my eye.”
A 7-Eleven employee subsequently vouched for the victim’s version.
“A male customer got in the head by a can of Pringles,” the employee told the deputy. “All the guy was doing [was] informing me of another male customer that was laying down on the side of the building. The female called the guy a b–––– and whacked him with the Pringles which literally went flying down one of the aisles. The male customer’s eyebrow was split open.”
The deputy said the defendant was eventually found with a can of Pringles on her person. He asked her if she paid for that can and she allegedly replied that “she was unsure,” according to the affidavit.
“[D]ue to not having immediate access to the cameras Shanika was not charged for the petit theft due to the lack of evidence at the time of arrest,” the deputy’s report concludes.
The defendant was arrested that same day.
Serdahl is not listed as an inmate in the Orange County Jail as of this writing.
