Man uses bug spray as weapon after checkout line dispute in Publix, FL cops say

An argument in the checkout line at Publix escalated to felony assault when a man waited in the parking lot to attack a couple with bug spray, according to investigators in Florida.

It happened around 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, at a Publix in Port Charlotte, and one of the victims required hospitalization, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“The incident began inside the store when the suspect, identified as Daniel John Kenel (65), became upset at the couple while in the checkout line,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The investigation found that the female victim was in line, waiting for her husband, when Kenel approached and tried to get in front of her. She informed Kenel that she was in line, which upset him. As the victims began placing their items on the checkout belt, Kenel began to do as well, furthering the argument.”

As the dispute escalated, the woman’s husband “stepped between his wife and Kenel and told him to back off,” the sheriff’s office said.

That’s when Kenel abandoned his cart, exited to the store and lay in wait for the couple in the parking lot, officials said.

“Once outside, Kenel moved his vehicle to the other side of the parking lot and clearly positioned himself to commit the attack,” the sheriff’s office said.

“As the couple exited the store and began loading their groceries, Kenel ran up behind them and sprayed them both in the face with a can of bug spray before running away and leaving the scene. The male victim required medical treatment at a local hospital.”

Deputies found Kenel still in the area, but he “refused to discuss the incident,” officials said. He was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated battery with great bodily harm, which is a second-degree felony, jail records show.

Bond was set at $2,000, and he was released on Sept. 1, jail records show.

Port Charlotte is about a 95-mile drive south from Tampa.

This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Man uses bug spray as weapon after checkout line dispute in Publix, FL cops say."