DeBary Man Charged With Aggravated Assault After Intentionally Coughing On Store Employee

Date Added: April 07, 2020 9:02 pm

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

DEBARY MAN CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AFTER INTENTIONALLY COUGHING ON STORE EMPLOYEE

Volusia sheriff’s deputies arrested a DeBary man today on a charge of aggravated assault after he intentionally coughed on a retail store employee, claiming social distancing is “getting out of hand.”

Christopher Canfora, 49 (DOB 7/25/1970), was arrested shortly before 3 p.m. today at his home in DeBary.

Deputies had responded around noon to Harbor Freight Tools at 2401 Enterprise Road in Orange City, where an employee reported that morning, Canfora approached her at a cash register and commented on the social distancing measures the store was taking, including tape markers on the floor to space customers six feet apart. The employee said Canfora remarked, “This is all getting out of hand,” and intentionally coughed on her and the register. She said Canfora then explained that he does the same to people wearing masks when he sees them, and he was planning on going to another store (Winn-Dixie) and doing it some more.

When deputies arrived at Canfora’s home, he denied coughing on anyone and said he did not have any symptoms associated with COVID-19. He said he didn’t expect anyone to understand his sense of humor and he couldn’t remember exactly what he said at Harbor Freight.

Canfora was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail where he was being held on $5,000 bond this evening.