Mother reportedly punches woman during argument involving her daughter at Circle K

A Leesburg woman was arrested for battery after punching another female in the face during an argument involving her daughter at Circle K.

A deputy responded to Circle K, located at 10030 County Road 44, regarding a staff member at the gas station reporting a physical altercation that he witnessed around 5:18 p.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. 

Upon the deputy’s arrival, he spoke with the staff member who advised he heard shouting outside the store before a woman, later identified as 41-year-old Kerri Elizabeth Beasley, came inside. She began arguing with another woman at the register. At one point, Beasley punched the woman at the register in the face, the report said. 

The staff member provided the deputy with video surveillance from inside and outside the store. In the footage, Beasley walked into Circle K and approached a woman. It appeared they were having a verbal altercation, the report said. 

Beasley then swung with her right hand using a closed fist making contact with the left side of the face of the woman at the register. The victim’s boyfriend intervened, and Beasley left the store. Video footage from outside the store showed both Beasley and the victim with her boyfriend going back to their respective vehicles, the report said. 

However, Beasley next grabbed a large wooden stick and walked toward the victim’s vehicle while the victim’s boyfriend advanced toward her. It appeared they continued their verbal argument. Beasley ultimately walked back to her vehicle, drove around the parking lot and left heading southbound on County Road 473, the report said. 

The deputy proceeded to interview the victim who advised she was in Circle K buying a drink at the register. This was when Beasley’s daughter approached the victim, screaming at her due to past experiences with each other. Beasley was videotaping and taking photos of her vehicle parked outside while the victim’s boyfriend was inside the vehicle, the report said. 

Beasley’s daughter then exited the store, and Beasley walked inside, yelling at the victim close to her face. During the argument, Beasley hit the victim with a closed fist with her right hand, making contact with the left side of her face. Her boyfriend tried to intervene to which Beasley left the store and walked back to her vehicle, the report said. 

The victim and her boyfriend also exited the store and got into their vehicle. Beasley grabbed a long wooden stick like a wooden broom and approached about halfway between her and the victim’s vehicles. In response, the victim’s boyfriend got out and walked quickly toward Beasley, yelling and getting in her face. Beasley then walked back to her vehicle and drove off headed southbound on County Road 473, the report said. 

Beasley was positively identified in the camera footage by a detective with LCSO due to previous law enforcement encounters, one of which included a prior battery conviction from Sept. 2007, the report said. 

Several hours later at around 10:49 p.m., the same deputy was on routine patrol when he noticed a white Ford Escape parked outside Circle K from the incident. He recognized the vehicle as Beasley’s and saw her inside the gas station at the register, the report said. 

Once Beasley left the store, the deputy detained her. Her daughter began making statements on the phone with someone that her mother was being arrested because she punched a girl at the store earlier, the report said. 

Beasley was charged with battery (second offense) and transported to the Lake County Jail. She was released after posting $5,000 bond.