Officers from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported battery on a pregnant individual at La Fiesta Mexican Grille Friday.
Upon arrival, the woman, who is six months pregnant, informed law enforcement that she had been assaulted by a coworker, identified as Keyly Suazo-Garcia, 39.
The incident reportedly stemmed from a verbal altercation regarding missing property that Suazo-Garcia believed the woman had thrown away.
According to the woman, Suazo-Garcia struck her with a closed fist on her right shoulder and the right side of her face as she walked by.
The right side of the woman’s face was red, police wrote, and the woman provided a sworn written statement detailing the assault.
The restaurant's manager and part owner, David Castro, supplied surveillance footage that corroborated the victim’s account. The video shows Suazo-Garcia approaching the woman, who was standing in a doorway, and appearing to punch her in the face.
The woman is then seen holding her face and showing signs of distress as Suazo-Garcia exited the restaurant.
Suazo-Garcia admitted to knowing the woman was pregnant but denied the allegations, claiming she often played the victim.
Contact Carlos Alemany at calemany@alligator.org. Follow him on X @clos_alemany.
Carlos Alemany is a fourth year political science student and the Alligator's 2024 Criminal Justice Reporter. In his free time, you you may catch him thrifting or sketching in Gainesville.
