Surfside Beach cops cuffed woman for a $3 broken glass, lawsuit says
A former Surfside Beach restaurant employee said she was arrested after breaking a $3 glass accidentally and now is suing over the incident.
Kristen Dixon filed a civil suit in Horry County court this week against Surfside Beach, Valentino’s Restaurant and its owner Salvatore Bommarito.
Dixon claims on Feb. 29 she was arrested by Myrtle Beach police after Surfside Beach police issued a warrant.
The suit states the warrant was for when Dixon broke a glass at Valentino’s when she worked there. Dixon added the glass was worth $3 and she broke it accidentally.
However, Bommarito told The Sun News that Dixon threw a glass in a serving area and could have hurt someone. She also threw other items at the restaurant. The owner said he called the police to protect his business.
Dixon was arrested and had to stay in J. Reuben Long Detention Center overnight, the suit states. The charges were eventually dismissed because of no probable cause. Her charges are not listed on the Horry County public index.
Dixon claims the defendants were upset because she found another job.
The filing states the defendants were negligent because they arrested Dixon without probable cause or evidence. She also claims she was falsely imprisoned.
The restaurant and the police also slandered Dixon because she was accused of the crime, the filing states. Dixon asked for an unspecified amount of money.
Officials from Surfside Beach said they were not aware of the suit and declined to comment.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 3:53 PM.
