ST. PETERSBURG — A man punched a 13-year-old girl inside a RaceTrac convenience store Saturday, knocking her unconscious as her parent pumped gas outside, Pinellas deputies reported.
Kolbe Wayne Smith, 27, of St. Petersburg now faces charges of aggravated child abuse, violation of probation and resisting arrest without violence.
According to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office release, Smith and the victim were in the store on the 2500 block of 54th Avenue N about 3 p.m. He did not know the girl and punched her in the face unprovoked, deputies said, causing her to lose consciousness and fall to the floor.
Other customers prevented Smith from leaving the store until deputies arrived. Smith then refused to be placed in custody, the agency reported, and the deputies used a Taser to subdue him. The report said he appeared to be under the influence of a substance. Smith later admitted to taking LSD, according to the report.
The victim was treated by paramedics and released to her parents.
Smith fell and cut his head and left ear on the tile floor after being shocked by the Taser and needed treatment at a nearby hospital.
Authorities then transported him to the Pinellas County jail, where he is being held on $50,150 bond. While Smith underwent questioning, he said he didn't remember the incident at all, deputies said.
Contact Langston Taylor at (727) 893-8659 or ltaylor@tampabay.com. Follow @langstonitaylor.