Frederic Sterry Smith (Facebook)
A Florida man was arrested after writing a homophobic message on his restaurant receipt and then shoving it down the manager’s blouse after she confronted him about it.
The incident happened last Saturday at Milagro On 12 Latin Kitchen, a restaurant in downtown St. Augustine, Florida.
After finishing his meal, 62-year-old Frederic Sterry Smith left a $0 tip for his waiter along with the message, “if he wasn’t gay.” When the server showed it to his manager, she went outside and confronted Smith in the parking lot.
When the manager asked if Smith was serious when he wrote the message on his receipt, he said hell yes then snatched the bill away from her, ripped it up, grabbed her by the collar, and shoved it down the front of her shirt, grazing her breasts as he did so.
When she screamed and accused him of assault, Smith hopped into his car and peeled away, police say.
Witnesses provided a description of Smith and police were able to track him down within an hour. When asked about the incident, they say he became “verbally abusive” and denied ever touching the woman, despite several witness accounts saying otherwise.
“I can say whatever I want, to whoever I want!” Smith told police.
According to his Facebook profile, Smith is the owner of Sterry Piano Company in St. Augustine, Florida and studied the Bible at Trinity School for Ministry.
He was arrested and charged with simple battery. Bond was set at $500.
