MIAMI (WSVN) - Police have arrested a man following the brutal beating of an elderly man on one of Miami’s MetroMovers.
Just about 24 hours after the attack on 73-year-old Eduardo Fernandez, police arrested Robert Lee Ribbs.
Fernandez’s attack is the second brutal attack to take place on the MetroMover in less than a month.
Passengers who frequent the public mover are now worried about their safety.
Fernandez suffered a fractured skull, which resulted in bleeding in his brain. His cheekbone was also embedded into his sinus cavity.
According to police, the beating occurred during the short ride between the Stephen P. Clark Center and the Omni Station near where Fernandez works.
“There is no reason to do this to somebody who is 5 feet 4 inches tall, 74 years old,” Manny Barajo, Fernandez’s friend, said.
According to an arrest report, Ribbs told the arresting officer, “Hey, man, I know what this is about. The old man called me a [expletive], and said [expletive] Black Lives Matter. He deserved it!”
“The authority has to make more security at these places,” Fernandez’s son Christian said.
Miami Police as well as the transit company said they have increased patrol and security presence at their stations.
The duration of the heightened security presence at the MetroMover stations is unknown.
Ribbs faces charges of strongarm robbery and aggravated battery on a person 65 or older.
He appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon and was ordered to be held on a $52,000 bond.
Ribbs also received a stay-away order from the victim and the MetroMover.
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