Florida never disappoints when it comes to bizarre crime stories.
But this latest arrest takes the cake for sheer absurdity.
And a Florida man learned a painful lesson after tossing a ketchup packet at the wrong guy.
A good deed turned into a felony charge
Austin Simmons was passed out at the PSTA Grand Central Station bus terminal in St. Petersburg when Carlos Mora stopped to check on him Monday evening.
Mora thought the 28-year-old might need help.
That good deed backfired spectacularly.
Simmons "woke up irate" according to police reports and walked straight toward Mora before launching an opened ketchup packet at him.
The condiment attack left Mora with "two spots of ketchup on his jacket."
Police found the packet "on the ground opened with ketchup pouring out."
The roughly 0.3-ounce packet wasn't collected as evidence.
Simmons denied striking Mora with the condiment but reportedly admitted to "giving the victim a ketchup packet."
That admission didn't help his case one bit.
Florida's three-strikes law turned a misdemeanor into a nightmare
Here's where things go from bizarre to brutal for Simmons.
A ketchup packet battery would normally be handled as a misdemeanor with maybe a night in jail and a fine.
But Simmons had a prior battery conviction from 2019.
Florida law doesn't mess around with repeat offenders.
Under Florida Statute Section 784.03(2), a person with one prior conviction for battery, aggravated battery, or felony battery who commits any subsequent battery faces a third-degree felony charge.
That prior conviction just turned a condiment toss into a potential five-year prison sentence.
The maximum penalty Simmons now faces is five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine.
All because he threw a ketchup packet at someone trying to help him.
The situation got worse when police searched Simmons and found a small amount of a chalky substance identified as cocaine.
Now he's facing felony battery and drug possession charges with a $5,000 bond covering both counts.
At an initial court hearing, he was ordered to have no contact with Mora.
Florida's repeat offender laws
Florida's Criminal Punishment Code uses a points system to determine sentences for felony convictions.
Defense attorneys can sometimes negotiate these enhanced charges down, but prosecutors in cases involving repeat offenders tend to dig in their heels.
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Simmons claims he was just trying to give Mora a ketchup packet.
That defense isn't going to fly with a judge who sees the prior conviction on his record.
The lesson every Florida resident should learn
This case proves one bad decision can haunt you for years.
That 2019 battery conviction is costing Simmons his freedom over a ketchup packet.
What might get someone else a slap on the wrist becomes a felony charge for repeat offenders.
Simmons woke up irate at a bus station and made a split-second decision to throw condiments at a Good Samaritan.
Now he's looking at five years behind bars.
Anyone with a prior conviction needs to understand they're operating under completely different rules.
One more mistake and the hammer comes down hard.
Sources:
- Michael Gwilliam, "Florida man arrested for using ketchup packet as weapon, faces 5 years in prison," Dexerto, January 22, 2026.
- Cort Freeman, "Florida Man Arrested On Felony Battery Charge For Hitting Someone With Packet Of Ketchup," BroBible, January 23, 2026.
- The Smoking Gun, "The weapon: A packet of ketchup. The charge: Felony battery," The Smoking Gun, January 2026.
- Richard Pollina, "Florida man charged with felony after allegedly hurling ketchup packet at good Samaritan," New York Post, January 23, 2026.
- Sid Natividad, "A Heinz Crime: Florida Man Weaponizes Ketchup Packet, Now Faces 5 Years in Prison," The Mary Sue, January 23, 2026.
