On August 24, 2025, a bizarre and violent incident unfolded at the Serena Hotel in Aventura, Florida, roughly 20 miles north of Miami. A 28-year-old man named Elmoncy Sercle was arrested after allegedly running over a woman with his red Mercedes SUV following her refusal to let him smell her feet. The encounter, which began as a seemingly innocuous meetup arranged through the dating app Seeking, escalated into a shocking act of aggression that left the victim with injuries and the public stunned by the peculiar nature of the crime.
The Encounter: A Meetup Turned Violent
The incident began when the victim, a woman who requested anonymity, agreed to meet Elmoncy Sercle at the Serena Hotel to sell him a pair of used sneakers. The two had connected through Seeking, a dating app, and continued their communication via WhatsApp. The woman, who works as a foot model, entered Sercleās hotel room, where he had left the door open for her.
According to the arrest affidavit, Elmoncy Sercle quickly shifted the conversation to an unusual request: he asked to smell her feet and offered to purchase her worn sneakers. The woman, uncomfortable with the request, explained that she was a professional foot model and quoted her standard rate of $1,000 for such an interaction. She noted that she was wearing sandals at the time and that her sneakers were in her car.
Elmoncy Sercle reportedly declined the $1,000 offer, and the situation took a strange turn. When the woman stepped into the bathroom, she heard Sercle abruptly leave the room. Suspecting he might have stolen her belongings, she chased after him into the hotelās parking garage.
There, she confronted him as he climbed into a red Mercedes SUV. According to the affidavit, Elmoncy Sercle drove past her, executed a three-point turn, and deliberately struck her with the vehicle. The impact left the woman with road rash and bruising on her back, arms, and chest, injuries severe enough to require immediate medical attention. She later described the ordeal as āextremely bizarre,ā telling a local news outlet, āBy the grace of God, Iām still standing today.ā
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The victimās account paints a vivid picture of the encounterās rapid escalation. She noted that while she was accustomed to meeting people with foot fetishes due to her work as a foot model, she had ānever experienced anything like this before.ā The sudden violence, triggered by her refusal to comply with Sercleās request, underscores the unpredictable nature of the incident and raises questions about his intentions and state of mind.
The Arrest and Sercleās History
Following the incident, Sercle fled the scene, but his return to the Serena Hotel on August 28 to book another room proved to be his downfall. Hotel staff, aware of the earlier incident, alerted the Aventura Police Department, who promptly took Sercle into custody. He was charged with aggravated battery, a serious offense reflecting the intentional nature of the act. As of September 3, 2025, Sercle has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court on September 29. He was released on a $3,000 bond from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to jail records.
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Investigators have since uncovered a troubling pattern in Sercleās behavior. Authorities noted that he has been linked to other incidents in Miami-Dade County involving similar tactics: meeting women through dating apps, arranging hotel meetups, and allegedly robbing them of their possessions.

While online records do not currently show charges related to these other cases, the police are actively reviewing additional reports and seeking surveillance footage from the Serena Hotel to further corroborate the victimās account. This history suggests that the August 24 incident may not have been an isolated act of impulsivity but part of a broader pattern of predatory behavior.
The victimās decision to chase Elmoncy Sercle into the parking garage, believing he had stolen her belongings, aligns with the policeās findings about his alleged history of theft. Her instincts, while putting her in harmās way, reflect the confusion and urgency of the moment. The fact that Sercle returned to the same hotel days later suggests either a lack of caution or an audacity that may have contributed to his eventual capture.
Broader Implications: Safety and Online Meetups
This shocking incident highlights several critical issues surrounding personal safety, online interactions, and the risks of meeting strangers in private settings. The rise of dating apps and online marketplaces has made it easier for people to connect, but it has also created opportunities for exploitation and violence. The victimās experience serves as a stark reminder of the importance of exercising caution when arranging in-person meetups, particularly in isolated or unfamiliar environments like hotel rooms.
The womanās role as a foot model adds a unique dimension to the story, as her profession likely made her a target for individuals with specific fetishes. While she was open to selling her used sneakers, her discomfort with Elmoncy Sercleās request to smell her feet underscores the importance of setting and enforcing personal boundaries.
Her professionalism in quoting a rate for the interaction reflects her experience in navigating such requests, yet it was not enough to prevent the situation from escalating into violence. This raises questions about how individuals in niche professions can protect themselves from clients who may have ulterior motives.
Moreover, the incident sheds light on the psychological and social dynamics at play. Sercleās extreme reaction to the womanās refusal suggests a deeper issue, possibly related to entitlement, rejection sensitivity, or an inability to handle denial. While the specifics of his motivations remain unclear, the violence he allegedly inflicted indicates a dangerous disregard for the victimās autonomy and safety. This case also prompts broader discussions about how society addresses unconventional fetishes and the line between personal desires and harmful behavior.

From a legal perspective, Elmoncy Sercleās charge of aggravated battery carries significant consequences, particularly given the intentional nature of the act. The fact that he allegedly used a vehicle as a weapon elevates the severity of the crime, and his history of similar incidents could influence the prosecutionās approach. If convicted, Sercle could face substantial penalties, though his not guilty plea suggests he intends to contest the charges.
For the victim, the physical injuriesāroad rash and bruisingāwere serious but not life-threatening, allowing her to recount her story to the media. Her resilience in the face of such a traumatic experience is notable, as is her willingness to speak out despite the public nature of the incident. Her statement, āIāve met a lot of people who have foot fetishes, obviously, and nobody has ever done anything to this caliber,ā reflects both her familiarity with such requests and her shock at the violent outcome.
The broader community response, as reflected in news coverage, has been one of disbelief and fascination, with headlines emphasizing the ābizarreā nature of the crime. The incident has also sparked discussions about the risks associated with online transactions, particularly those involving personal items like clothing or shoes, which can attract individuals with specific fetishes. The victimās description of her sneakers as āstinky old sneakersā and her acknowledgment that āpeople like weird thingsā highlights her pragmatic view of her work, but it also underscores the unpredictability of dealing with strangers.
The case of Elmoncy Sercle and the woman he allegedly ran over at the Serena Hotel is a chilling reminder of how quickly a seemingly routine interaction can turn dangerous. What began as a transaction over used sneakers spiraled into an act of violence that left the victim injured and the public grappling with the oddity of the circumstances.
Sercleās arrest and the ongoing investigation into his history suggest that this incident may be part of a larger pattern, raising concerns about the safety of online meetups and the need for greater awareness and precautions. As the case moves forward, it will likely continue to draw attention for its unusual details and the broader questions it raises about personal safety, online platforms, and the complexities of human behavior.
For now, the victimās survival and her ability to share her story serve as a testament to her strength and a warning to others about the potential dangers lurking in seemingly harmless encounters. The courtās ruling on September 29 will provide further clarity on the consequences Sercle may face, but the incident itself will undoubtedly remain etched in the publicās memory as one of the most āextremely bizarreā crimes of 2025.