Karleen Biswanger (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)
A 39-year-old woman in Florida is facing a felony charge for allegedly throwing an avocado at her 68-year-old boyfriend, striking him directly in the head. Karleen Jame Biswanger was taken into custody on Sunday and charged with one count of domestic battery on a person 65 years of age or older, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a sworn affidavit of probable cause obtained by Law&Crime, deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at around 7:45 p.m. on March 12 responded to a call about a domestic disturbance at a residence located in the 500 block of 3rd Avenue South in St. Petersburg, which is only a few miles southwest of Tampa.
Deputies on the scene said that Biswanger and the victim had been living together for about one year prior to the incident. In what is likely an attempt to explain the nearly 30-year age gap between Biswanger and the victim, police also noted that the two had been “engaging in consensual sexual intercourse” during that time.
Authorities say Biswanger launched the green fruit and other objects during an argument with her senior beau.
“The defendant threw an avocado at the victim’s face causing injury to his right eye,” the affidavit states. “The defendant also threw a metal hanging rod at the victim causing injuries to his upper right arm and forearm.”
Authorities said that “a portion” of the dispute was witnessed by a neighbor.
After the responding deputies say they read Biswanger her Miranda rights, she proceeded to deny “directly striking” the victim.
The document does not include additional details regarding what may have caused the alleged argument or what portions of the dispute the neighbor allegedly witnessed, but deputies noted that no firearms, no weapons, and no alcohol were involved in the incident.
According to state court records, Biswanger has a long history of run-ins with the law, some of which also include allegations of her throwing unusual objects at others.
Last year she was charged with domestic battery for allegedly throwing a “9-inch cardboard box full of writing utensils at her father, striking him in the upper right chest,” according to an affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime.
The incident allegedly took place immediately after deputies had left the residence after Biswanger’s father had called to request a welfare check on her because he was “worried about [Biswanger] and her drug problem,” the document states. However, the charges were dropped after Biswanger’s father signed a document stating he did not want his daughter’s case prosecuted.
Biswanger in 2015 was also charged with domestic battery after she allegedly came home “highly intoxicated” and punched her then-boyfriend in the face with a closed fist multiple times, cutting his left eye, an affidavit states. Her boyfriend at the time similarly signed a document requesting Biswanger not be prosecuted and the charges against her were dropped.
Charges filed against Biswanger since 2003 include leaving the scene of an accident, retail theft, driving under the influence, possession of methadone, possession of alprazolam, and driving with a suspended license, among others.
One prior case lead to a sentence of 120 days in jail in 2019 after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance.
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