Cops Release Images From Kendall Publix Attack
KENDALL(CBSMiami) – The vicious attack on a Publix manager in Kendall by a suspected shoplifter earlier this week was caught on camera.
Now Miami-Dade police have released images from the surveillance tape in hopes that someone recognizes the man and gives them a call.
Publix shoppers and a veteran Miami-Dade police detective said the images are disturbing.
"He's obviously shown that he can be violent, of course he can do it again, and these are the individuals we do not need lingering in our community," said police spokesman Det. Alvaro Zabaleta who added that the man went out of his way to hurt the store manager.
Miami-Dade police are not identifying the manager in order to protect his identity. CBS4 has also chosen not to identify him.
Publix store employees told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that they did not recognize the man who attacked their manager. It happened around noon Monday at the Publix store located at 11750 SW 104th Street, which had just opened in December.
According to police, surveillance cameras captured the man walking through the store putting items in his back pack. When one of the store's managers confronted him near the front doors, the man attacked.
Zabaleta said the suspect became violent even though the manager backed away.
"You can see how he backs off to avoid a confrontation," said Zabaleta.
The suspect knocked the manager to the ground and then proceeded to pummel him with his fists.
"He became aggressive with the employee, he knocked him down," said Zabaleta. "At that point he had the doors right behind him where he had an avenue of escape. But he didn't want to escape. He wanted to continue being violent and that's why this individual which we want the community to identify because this guy is a violent person."
After the attack the man left the store and took off on a black bicycle.
"He didn't care and that is why we want the community to help us find out who he is and locating him so he can be arrested for robbery," said Zabaleta.
"We are concerned that this person can do this again and we do not want him lingering in our community," said Zabaleta.
"It's crazy when you hear stuff like that," said Publix shopper Robert Davis. "You go in a store to rob someone and the person you're trying to rob turns around and beats him."
"It's scary," said Georgina Merlo Quinones, another Publix shopper. "You come to Publix with your children and you encounter violence like this in a nice neighborhood. They have to be around that violence. It's scary."
Store employees said the manager has returned to work and is going to be okay.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers
(305) 471-TIPS (8477).
