MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - The gloves came off at a busy South Beach intersection after, witnesses said, a confrontation between the manager of a T-shirt shop and three female customers who had allegedly stolen merchandise from his business escalated into an all-out brawl that was caught on camera.
According to the managerer of Beach Outlet, located at 910 Collins Ave., the trio swiped several items at the shop and made a run for it, Sunday, just after 6:30 p.m.
7News spoke with a store employee, Wednesday, who said the women were inside sipping drinks and seemed to be shopping around. The employee said something seemed fishy, so he followed them around to make sure everything was OK, and that’s when they grabbed the merchandise and made a run for it.
“I hope those girls will be found,” said employee Mourad Chaabi, “and pay the price because that’s the wrong thing to do.”
Chaabi said they were acting suspicious and caught everyone’s attention, including the store’s manager. “The guy was standing there, just making sure everything was OK, so she got that he was watching her,” he said. “She was like, ‘Oh, you wanna watch me now? Well, watch me now,’ and she just grabbed three T-shirts, three sweaters, and the guy basically ran after them in the middle of the street.”
Area resident Paul Thomas said he saw the ensuing melee unfold. “These three girls came running past us; they came out of the store,” he said. “We saw them [holding] things with hangers still on them.”
Dramatic surveillance video from nearby Sherbrooke Hotel, which was posted to Facebook, shows two of the women, one of whom was wearing a green bikini, sprinting down the crosswalk at the corner of Collins Avenue and Ninth Street. They were seen holding large bags.
Moments later, the footage shows the store manager running after them. “He chased them into the street,” said Thomas.
The manager is then seen grabbing the woman in the bikini, causing her to lose her balance and fall on the pavement. “Right underneath the light, in the middle of the street, and a car almost ran her over because the car was coming down the road,” said Thomas.
The other woman, seen wearing a light-colored T-shirt and jean shorts, kept on running.
The woman in the green bikini then got up, charged at the store manager and ran off. The manager then walked over and grabbed what looks like store merchandise from the floor.
All of a sudden, a third woman, seen wearing a light-colored bikini, is seen running toward the manager and striking him with her bag. The shopper in the green bikini then joined her and both walloped the manager with their bags, causing merchandise to fly everywhere.
“[They] started swinging at the owner,” said Thomas. “He backed off, and they went laughing down the street.”
7News spoke to the Rafy Kalderon, the store manager and the man who chased the women outside.
“Before they left, they grabbed a couple hoodies and stuff and started to run away,” said Kalderon. “I get after them, but I cannot touch, of course, girls, so I’m just asking, please give me back my stuff from the store, and they go around me, and they started beating me, but I cannot hit a girl, of course.”
On Wednesday morning, detectives stopped by the store to speak with employees.
Mitch Novick who owns the Sherbrooke Hotel at Ninth Street and Collins Avenue said he heard about the commotion on social media. When he checked his surveillance cameras, he realized he captured the scene.
“Typical, this is an everyday event in the entertainment district,” Novick said.
If you have any information on this theft, 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.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.