A seemingly innocent pumpkin — traditionally associated with Halloween decoration and Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. — turned out to be a reason for an uncherished experience for a woman after her boyfriend threw the squash at her.
The incident happened in the early hours of Monday after drunk Nathan Garisto and his girlfriend were engaged in a verbal spat at their Florida home. The girlfriend — who was unidentified — told Garisto to leave the house. The 26-year-old refused to do so and instead threw a pumpkin at her, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Smoking Gun. Police arrived at the scene shortly after and arrested Garisto.
"While yelling at the victim, the defendant [Garisto] threw a pumpkin and all insides of the pumpkin at the subject [the girlfriend] by purposely flipping a tarp on top of the subject spilling the contents of the tarp on top of her," the complaint stated. It also noted that while the 29-year-old woman did not sustain any injuries, she was "covered in pumpkin seeds and pulp."
Garisto was charged with a domestic battery and he pleaded not guilty. He defended his actions saying he only "threw the pumpkin at the sliding doors," and not at his girlfriend. He posted a bond of $1,000 and got out of the jail. A judge ordered Garisto to not have any contact with the woman and to wear an alcohol monitor as a part of his bond conditions.
Garisto has a long list of convictions, according to court documents. Previously, he was cited for marijuana possession, careless driving, drunk driving and probation violation.
In a separate incident, a 28-year-old man was charged with domestic battery for assaulting his pregnant girlfriend after she confronted him about cheating on her. He reportedly pressed his knee on the woman's stomach and took her mobile phone away when she tried to call for help. He was arrested and the bail was set at $6,500.
