DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A Fort Lauderdale woman was left bruised after, she said, she had to fight off a man who tried to kidnap her.
Dark bruises now cover the victim’s arms where the attempted kidnapper grabbed her.
“He grabbed me by my arms and tried to force me towards the passenger side of the vehicle,” said the victim, too shaken to reveal her identity.
The victim said the subject was driving a gray Nissan with tinted windows when he saw her walking through a Deerfield Beach neighborhood at Northwest First Place, Wednesday afternoon.
“He, in very vulgar terms, told me to get into his car, and I picked up my pace,” said the victim.
Gina Carter of the Broward Sheriff’s Office said, “He stopped his vehicle, got out of the car and grabbed her by the arms.”
The subject and the victim began to struggle. The victim said her assailant punched her in the face, and she fought back.
“Kneeing at him, trying to push him away from me. I started screaming, and he got really angry,” she said, “and at that point, I took my umbrella, and I stabbed him in the groin area.”
That final strike gave the victim the chance she needed.
“Once she struck the suspect, he threw her to the ground, and she was able to quickly run away from the scene,” said Carter.
The subject also got away. Police released a sketch based off the victim’s description of the attacker.
The victim said he was clean-shaven, wore cargo shorts, did not have an accent and had a possible tattoo or mark on the side of his neck.
“This is someone that somebody’s going to recognize,” said Carter. “Maybe he’s from the area. We’re hoping that somebody out there has that information that will help us identify him.”
“Somebody else may not be as fortunate as I was. Somebody else may not fight back like I did. For somebody else, it may end a lot worse for them,” said the victim.
If you have any information on this would-be kidnapper, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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