A man from Florida was taken into custody after reportedly attacking a Walgreens store manager with a Bible on Easter Sunday. The man, identified as 35-year-old Peter Owens, was charged with felony battery following the incident that took place in a Walgreens store in Clearwater Beach on March 31, as per an arrest affidavit issued by the Clearwater Police Department.
The affidavit details that Owens entered the Walgreens store shortly after 11:30 p.m. with the intention of buying a pair of headphones. A verbal dispute ensued between Owens and a store employee over the merchandise, which escalated when the store manager got involved. Owens is alleged to have struck the manager in the face with a Bible after she requested him to leave the store.
The affidavit also reveals that this was not Owens’ first encounter with law enforcement. He has a previous conviction for battery, for which he was found guilty in March 2020. Following the incident at Walgreens, police were able to locate and apprehend Owens. He admitted to hitting the store manager with his Bible, stating that she was rude to him, but claimed he did not intend to hit her.
Owens was released from the Pinellas County Jail the following day after posting a $5,000 bond. However, his criminal activities did not cease there. Less than a day after his release, Owens was once again arrested. According to an affidavit from the Tarpon Springs Police Department, Owens is accused of stealing men’s shoes and a box of Cheez-Its from Walmart.
The affidavit explains that Owens allegedly took the snack into the bathroom, then selected a pair of shoes from a shelf and removed the tag. He is said to have tried on the shoes and then concealed them in a duffle bag. A loss prevention officer stopped Owens when he allegedly left the store without paying. Police were alerted and Owens was arrested again and taken to the Pinellas County Jail. As of Wednesday afternoon, he remains in custody on a $150 bond, according to jail records.