NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida woman was left traumatized after being attacked at a park in North Miami.
Eraine Ambo, an avid runner with marathon medals under her belt, was on her routine jog at Claude Pepper Park when it took a dangerous turn, Wednesday morning.
Ambo said she was running along a path at around 6 a.m., like she normally does, when she passed a man in a blue shirt and baseball cap.
“I told him ‘Good morning,’ he said, ‘Good morning,’ and then I ran by him,” she recounted. “After I ran past by him, he pushed me to the floor, and as he pushed me to the floor, I was on my stomach, and then I rolled over onto my back. He was on top of me, and I was just kicking him, and he was going at my neck to try and get my chain.”
Luckily, a good Samaritan stepped in and helped fight off the attacker.
“I actually got this as a gift,” Ambo said about her chain.
The thief was unsuccessful in snatching her chain before he ran off, but photos showed where he left his mark.
“At that point, I didn’t know if he was just trying to take the chain off or if he was trying to assault or rape me or anything more than that,” Ambo said.
To make matters worse, after she called North Miami Police to report the assault, detectives delivered bad news.
“The detective said he came out here and the cameras weren’t working,” Ambo said, “and they’re going to continue working on the case, but there’s not much they can do if they don’t have the footage, so I was really, really upset.”
Her sister, who she trains with, was also shocked that cops couldn’t get a crucial clue.
“It’s so crazy that you have all these children in this park, and yet you tell me the camera’s not working?” Quensine Ambo questioned.
The Ambo sisters are now making it their mission to find out why the cameras at the park were down.
“I just want the cameras to be working,” Eraine said.
She’s used to fighting. Back in 2013, she conquered a much harder battle.
“I was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and liver cancer,” Eraine said. “Pre-hypertensive, pre-diabetic, and then diagnosed with cancer soon after, so running with the grace of God restored my health.”
After Wednesday’s attack, this cancer survivor said she feels lucky to be alive for a second time, and she’ll continue speaking out to make sure her community is safe.
“It’s not right because in other communities, the cameras are working,” Eraine said. “In this community, the cameras have to be working as well.”
If you have any information on this attack, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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