Deputies arrest man accused of punching Dollar General clerk in mouth, knocking out teeth
TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says deputies have arrested the man accused of punching a clerk in the face at a dollar store, causing her to lose teeth.
The backstory:
Amber Heflin told FOX 13 she was working at the Dollar General on 56th St. in the Temple Terrace area on Feb. 6 when a man who would show up at the store multiple times per day walked in.
Surveillance image of the man who punched the Dollar General clerk.
Heflin said the man tried buying stuff with a food stamp card that got declined, then got upset when the general manager asked him to leave.
"And I mean, he just leaned in and punched me," Heflin told FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia earlier this month. "Like, I didn't even have a second to even think about the situation."
Customer punches Dollar General employee
FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports on a Dollar General clerk suffering from almost $15,000 in dental damages after getting punched by a customer whose transaction was declined.
The store's surveillance camera captured the punch, which knocked out three of Heflin’s teeth and severely damaged a fourth – causing about $15,000 in damage, according to Heflin.
HCSO says detectives later identified the suspect as Kyle Clark, 33, and arrested him on Tuesday.
Previous mugshot of Kyle Clark from 2023. Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
What's next:
Clark is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday afternoon to face charges connected to this case.
CLICK HERE:>>> Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
The Source: Information for this story came from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and previous FOX 13 News reports.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter