PORT ST. LUCIE — Police are investigating after a report that a woman dumped food items, possibly pork and bacon, in front of a Middle Eastern market whose proprietors are Muslim, according to police and a market owner.
Port St. Lucie Police on May 30 went to Belad Al Sham Mid East Market in the 1000 block of Southeast Port St. Lucie Boulevard regarding a vandalism complaint, according to Lt. Joe Norkus, police spokesperson.
Norkus said the market owners indicated a woman walked past the store with a bag, similar to a clear Ziploc bag, and “was dumping things out on the ground.”
Norkus said it turned out to be food products, described as pork and bacon.
“It certainly has the undertones of some type of a biased intent,” Norkus said.
The Quran, or sacred scripture of Islam, states that consuming pork isn’t allowed in the Islam faith.
Hiba Sharifeh, who said she runs the business with her husband, said video footage about 1:30 p.m. May 30 depicts a woman with a jacket or towel with a bag of rotten food.
“About a half hour later, people are coming into the store, they’re telling us, man, it smells really bad outside,” Sharifeh said. “My husband goes to check outside and there’s food thrown in front of my store.”
Port St. Lucie Police are investigating an incident reported May 30, 2026, in which a woman reportedly dumped rotten pork or bacon in front of Belad Al Sham Mid East Market on Southeast Port St. Lucie Boulevard.
Sharifeh said her husband and 11-year-old son were there, while she was at a nephew’s graduation ceremony.
“I’m not sure if it was pork or dog food, but it smelled really bad,” Sharifeh said.
She said her husband cleaned things up.
“Afterwards when … I had the chance to look at all the cameras, I was staring at the cameras and I caught her face,” Sharifeh said.
She said what scared her and her family is that the woman returned about 20 or 30 minutes later and commented “we deserve more than this.”
Norkus said it’s too soon to tell whether the incident constitutes a hate crime until investigators look further into it.
“Certainly this is not an accident,” he said. “This was not a random act. This was an intentional act.”
Sharifeh said the store has been open since March 2025.
“Everybody’s always so welcoming. They’re so excited,” she said. “They’re so happy that we’re here.”
Sharifeh said that herself, her husband and family are Muslims, and thought the incident is a hate crime.
“We did nothing to anybody,” Sharifeh said. “I mean, what is it? Because I’m a Muslim or because I wear a hijab?”
A hijab is worn by some Muslim women to cover their hair.
It’s the first time such an incident has occurred at the store, situated in a plaza with a variety of other businesses, she said.
Sharifeh said they’re American just as “everybody else is an American.”
In the past some hesitated to come to the store, she said.
“Then I would smile at them and they’d come in,” she said. “I’m like, listen, it doesn’t matter what religion, what culture, what you dress like, everyone’s welcome here.”
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She said police have been patrolling at night and during the day.
Still, she said her 5-year-old and 7-year-old children are with her in the store.
“I’m really concerned more about my children’s safety,” Sharifeh said. “You attack me, I could defend myself, but my children, God forbid.”
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hate crime at Middle Eastern Market in Florida? Police investigate