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Man accused of slapping woman with bowl of chili in fight over new boyfriend, police say

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — Police arrested a man last week after a witness told officers he slapped a woman in the face with a bowl of chili in an argument over her new boyfriend.

Escambia County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday arrested Jerald Jenkins, 33, on charges of aggravated assault and battery, according to court records.

In a probable cause statement filed in court, deputies said they were called to an address in Escambia County on the night of Oct. 26, after a witness saw a woman in a car arguing with Jenkins, who was not in the car. The witness told police Jenkins was “trying to fight (the victim) and her boyfriend because (the victim) had a new boyfriend.”

The victim told police she was with her boyfriend in a car when Jenkins stopped to say hello to them. She identified her boyfriend after Jenkins asked who he was, at which time she said he “slapped her with a bowl of chili.”

The initial witness told officers the victim appeared to have “chili all over her” when she got out of the vehicle.

The victim said Jenkins pulled her out of the car by her hair and struck her in her face and body. When her boyfriend got out of the car to help, she told police, Jenkins ran into a home, grabbed a large kitchen knife and returned. The initial witness told police Jenkins “came out to try to stab (the victim’s) boyfriend with it.”

At one point, the victim said Jenkins dropped the knife and began to fight her boyfriend. She told deputies the initial witness broke up the fight and her boyfriend left in her vehicle. The victim told deputies she left in a separate vehicle with her sister.

Deputies arrested Jenkins on Thursday night. He remained behind bars Monday, according to records from Escambia County Jail.