A 29-year-old Miami woman is facing a felony charge after police say she repeatedly struck another woman in the face with a cellphone during a restroom fight at a Little Havana cafeteria, leaving the victim with a fractured eye socket that required surgery. Lesly Gisselle Flores, who lives in Miami's Riverside neighborhood, was arrested Monday in connection with the altercation, which unfolded before dawn at La Porteña Cafeteria.
Miami police officers were dispatched to the restaurant, located at 503 SW 17th Avenue, shortly after 5 a.m. on August 9 after a report of a fight in progress, according to WPLG Local 10. Police say a woman is facing an aggravated battery charge after repeatedly striking another woman with a cellphone during a fight inside the restaurant's restroom. The property sits along a busy commercial stretch in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, near the SW 8th Street corridor, according to Movoto property records.
A Fight Over a Sink
According to a police report, the confrontation began when Flores started shoving the victim out of the way so she could use the sink while the victim was washing her hands in the restaurant restroom. The victim told officers she initially did not fight back, per the police report, but says Flores then prevented her from standing or defending herself.
The victim told police that Flores repeatedly struck her left eye with a cellphone and bit her underneath her left arm and in the chest area. The station's report notes that a friend of the victim reportedly saw two cellphones on the floor of the restroom during the fight, and the victim later identified one of them as belonging to Flores — the same phone she says was used to strike her.
Conflicting Accounts of Who Struck First
Flores gave a different version of events, claiming in the police report that the victim punched her in the face first and that she punched back in response. During the confrontation, Flores allegedly told the victim, “Did your mom not show you any manners?” — though per Flores's account, it was actually the victim who said those words to her. Flores also reportedly said, “Don't bring my mom into this.” The report states Flores continued striking the victim until a manager and other people intervened, and an employee ultimately pulled her from the restroom.
The victim later identified Flores as her attacker in a photo lineup shown to her by deputies. Police say they have not determined a motive for the attack as of Wednesday.
Surgery Needed for Eye Socket Damage
The victim told police the cellphone blows caused an orbital fracture and damage requiring surgery. Medical literature on facial trauma indicates that an orbital fracture — a break in the bones surrounding the eye socket — routinely requires surgical reconstruction to prevent long-term vision loss, persistent double vision, or permanent facial asymmetry, according to research published by MDPI. Blunt force to the eye area can collapse the thin bone of the orbital floor, sometimes requiring an implant or plate to repair.
Police arrested Flores on Monday, and she was transported to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office's violent crimes office for questioning the day before, on August 10. Detectives read her Miranda rights, but according to the report, she chose not to speak without a lawyer present.
Felony Charge and Jail Status
Flores is facing one count of aggravated battery with a weapon causing great bodily harm. Under Florida judicial precedent, everyday handheld items — including cellphones, tools, and bottles — can be legally classified as deadly weapons in an aggravated battery prosecution if used in a manner likely to produce great bodily harm, according to the Law Office of Michael Mirer, P.A. Prosecutors do not need a traditional firearm or blade to pursue a felony weapon charge under state statute.
Under Florida Statutes § 784.045, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm or involving a weapon is a second-degree felony, carrying maximum penalties of up to 15 years in state prison, 15 years of probation, and a $10,000 fine, per the Law Office of W.F. “Casey” Ebsary Jr. Florida law elevates misdemeanor battery to a Level 7 felony offense when intentional physical contact inflicts serious injury.
Flores was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County as of Wednesday, with her bond listed as still to be set. TGK functions as the central intake and release hub for all 34 municipal police agencies in Miami-Dade County, and initial bond hearings there are conducted virtually by judges in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, according to Miami-Dade County. Once a monetary bail amount is set, administrative processing and warrant verification at TGK typically take 8 to 15 hours before a detainee can be released, per Faroy Bail Bonds. Under Eleventh Judicial Circuit procedures, prosecutors must formally file felony charges within 21 days of an arrest, or defense counsel can petition for an adversary preliminary hearing or release on recognizance, according to the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office.
Part of a Pattern in Miami Dining Spots
The case echoes other recent violent incidents at Miami food and beverage establishments. In July, a bartender at Bayside Marketplace reported a concussion and broken tooth after a customer repeatedly shoved her during an argument over service bar rules, as Hoodline previously reported. In May 2025, a 20-year-old man was arrested on an aggravated battery charge after a confrontation at a Miami Chili's left an employee unconscious with five missing teeth.
Neighborhood public safety data compiled from Miami Police Department records show that while overall homicides and robberies have dropped in recent years, physical altercations and domestic disputes account for the majority of violent crime incident reports in central Miami precincts, according to Miami Spotlight. Non-firearm physical altercations make up a significant share of non-fatal violent crime arrests across the city.
