ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (FOX 2) – A 21-year-old mother assaulted a Kroger clerk in front of her own 1-year-old daughter on Tuesday.
At the self check-out of a St. Clair Shores Kroger, Shelby Pelham walked up to the clerk, a 49-year-old woman, and hit her in the face – knocking her flat on the ground, rendering her unconscious, and resulting in a head injury.
The incident was captured on Kroger’s security cameras.
Some words were exchanged before the incident. Pelham’s Bridge card allegedly did not have enough money to cover what she had rung up. She asked for assistance in deducting some items, but the clerk could not help at that moment.
“The employee walked away from her. …The defendant was upset and followed her and struck her in the face,” said St. Clair Shores Police Detective Gordon Carrier. “The victim did lose consciousness for a bit, and was transported to the hospital for treatment of head injury.”
Pelham’s one-year-old daughter was seated in the shopping cart as the assault unfolded.
Police arrived at the Kroger on 9 Mile and Harper Avenue within minutes and took Pelham into custody.
Pelham is facing “a misdemeanor charge. However, it is an enhanced charge of aggravated assault,” Carrier said. “It’s obviously very clear-cut. There’s no questions as to who’s at fault here.”
The clerk sustained a black eye and is suffering from headaches due to the assault. She is currently taking time off from work, resting at home.
Pelham does not have any prior charges, according to police. For this misdemeanor, she was given a $1,000 personal bond. She is currently out of custody but could face up to one year in prison if convicted.
Carrier is asking the public to take an extra second this holiday season before doing something they will regret.
“Everybody can be stressed out, right?” he said. “There’s got to be better resolutions than violence.”
Watch the assault in full below: