Cops: Woman dumped popcorn on child, 2, hit her with container

The little girl asked for some popcorn at a movie, but Nassau County police say the woman sitting next to her tried to shush her, then placed her hand on the girl’s mouth and dumped a container of popcorn on her head. She then started hitting the toddler with the empty container, according to police.

Now Keri Karman, 25, and her father, Charles Karman, 61, both of Baldwin, are facing charges of endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

Police said the incident was reported at 6:42 p.m. on Jan. 2 at the AMC Dine-In Levittown 10. The 2-year-old girl had asked her mother for popcorn during the movie. Keri Karman, sitting next to the child, attempted to verbally quiet the child. The child’s mother, in turn, asked Karman not to talk to her daughter, police said.

That’s when the trouble started. Police said Karman placed her hand over the child’s mouth, dumped some popcorn on her and struck her on the head with the container, making the child cry.

Then the two Karmans fled the theater, police said.

The child was taken to a doctor for evaluation after she complained of head pain, police said, adding that she suffered a bruise.

Charles Karman was charged because he failed to take action at the scene, police said. Both Karmans were charged Friday and issued appearance tickets. It was not clear when they were due in court.

By Craig Schneider

craig.schneider@newsday.comScraigo

Craig Schneider is a Long Island native and Stony Brook University alumnus. He joined Newsday as a general assignment reporter in January 2018 after 20 years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.