A homeless woman was arrested for allegedly pulling a knife on a female employee at an Ocala sandwich shop and throwing bread at her during an argument over free food.
The incident occurred at Cristina’s Subs & Suds (9562 SE Maricamp Road in Ocala) on Friday, April 11, and it involved a customer who was wielding a knife, according to the arrest report.
A Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived at the eatery and made contact with a female employee who advised that she had given food to a homeless woman for free. The homeless woman was identified as 36-year-old Cherelle Gabriel Gordon.
According to the victim’s statement, Gordon began asking for “extra items. When the victim told her no, Gordon allegedly began to “yell and cause a disturbance,” which prompted the victim to ask her to leave the premises.
The report stated that Gordon pulled a kitchen knife from a backpack she was carrying, and she allegedly began swinging it in the air while yelling. The deputy noted that Gordon then headed towards the counter before backing away and eventually putting the knife away.
Gordon proceeded to return to the counter area to argue with the victim before leaving the business prior to the arrival of law enforcement.
During the incident, the victim stated that she was “in fear for her life.” A second victim who was inside the store at the time of the incident also advised that they were afraid for their safety when Gordon was allegedly wielding the knife.
At some point during the incident, the victim advised that Gordon “grabbed bread from the counter and threw it at her,” striking her in the head. When the deputy reviewed video surveillance footage from the time of the incident, Gordon was observed holding a knife during the verbal altercation, though the footage did not show the bread being thrown, according to the report.
The deputy made contact with Gordon at a tent located on SE Maricamp Road, near the incident location. The report stated that after being read her Miranda rights, Gordon claimed that she “pulled the knife out to protect herself,” and she denied throwing bread at the victim.
In the report, the deputy mentioned that a kitchen knife with a three-inch blade was found inside Gordon’s backpack.
Gordon was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail, where she is currently being held on a $15,000 bond. She is being charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of battery (second or subsequent offense).
On Tuesday, May 13, Gordon is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.
Gordon was arrested last November on burglary and theft charges after she allegedly trespassed on her mother’s property, broke into the residence, and stole canned goods.
During the summer of 2023, Gordon was arrested in a separate incident when she destroyed items in a convenience store while armed with an umbrella.