Intoxicated Woman Vomits, Batters Employees at Deer Park Elementary

A Clearwater woman pulled into a New Port Richey elementary school parking lot Thursday during dismissal time to avoid a red light, then began vomiting and battering school employees, deputies say.

According to an incident report, Samantha Frances Sipka, 23, drove into the pick-up line while Deer Park Elementary students were being dismissed at about 2:35 p.m. She began vomiting in the parking lot and "was clearly impaired," the report stated.

The school's principal, Margie Polen, approached the woman, who told Polen she was sick. When asked if she had a child that attended Deer park Elementary, Sipka told Polen, "No, but he goes to a park," according to the report.

Polen told the responding deputy that Sipka was slumped in her car and slurring her words. When Sipka asked to use the restroom, Polen accompanied her, then told Sipka she should not leave because she was "unstable on her feet."

When Sipka attempted to leave the school office, the school's clinic associate, Jennifer Grover, saw her "bouncing off the walls" as she walked. Sipka told her that she could not find her car. Noting that Sipka could not drive, Grover asked her for her keys, which Sipka handed to her, the report stated. 

At that point, Sipka began yelling and cursing, "Now I really don't know where the f--- my car is," then tried to grab the car keys back from Grover, but the keys were hooked around the woman's finger.

Sipka continued to pull the keys, twisting her arm and cutting Grover. The school's physical education coach, Larry Melchant, intervened when he saw blood coming from Grover's hand, the report stated.

At that point, Sipka pushed both Grover and Melchant, knocking them both down and falling on top of them, the report stated.

The two held Sipka on the ground until deputies arrived, according to the report.

Responding deputies noted a strong odor of alcohol on Sipka, who was "cursing and appeared very irate."

There were students present on campus at the time, and a long line of cars still in the pick-up line, the report stated.

Sipka told the deputy she was coming back from a cemetery and was on her way to a Clearwater dollar store to buy "scented trees." She said she pulled into the school's parking lot to get around a red light, according to the incident report.

Sipka was arrested and charged with two counts of battery on a school employee and disruption of a school function. She was released Friday, Oct. 26, on $5,000 bond.