MIAMI SHORES, FLA. (WSVN) - A man has been arrested in connection to an armed robbery at a strip mall in Miami Shores.
Police arrested the suspect, 57-year-old William E. Carroll, Monday morning, for his suspected connection to the armed robbery, which took place last Wednesday.
“I’m just really happy that I can feel safe with my children in my home and that this guy is off the street,” said Joy, the robbery victim, who did not want to give her last name.
The victim, a mother of four, said she was going to get her nails done at Shores Shopping Plaza in the area of Northeast 95th Street and Second Avenue when the man approached her in broad daylight, put her in a chokehold on the ground and held her at gunpoint. “He said to me, ‘If you scream, I will kill you,'” Joy said. “That was the first thing. Then, he turned me around, he threw me down, and he said it again.”
Surveillance video captured the moment as Joy exited her vehicle and was approached by Carroll. Her wallet, credit cards and wedding ring, which is worth $30,000, were all stolen.
“My children were the first thing on my mind after I got up and went into the salon,” Joy said. “I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, I have to call home.'”
Her story aired on 7News, and police began to receive tips shortly after. “After your story aired last week, we got several tips that came in,” said Miami Shores Police Lt. David Golt. “Thank you, thank you, thank you to the community for leading us in the right direction.”
7News was on the scene as Carroll was brought into police custody, Monday. Aventura Police detectives also arrived on the scene to question the suspect about a recent ring robbery in Aventura.
“If you take a look at the video, it was a quite a violent act,” Golt said. “We were eager to get this person into custody, and the tips came in after the story aired and led to a successful conclusion.”
As Carroll was escorted to a rescue truck, he said he committed no wrongdoing. “I’m innocent,” he said. “You got the wrong person.”
Joy said that when she got the call of the arrest, she felt relieved. “I got the chills, for sure,” she said. “I’m super happy.”
Carroll has been charged with armed robbery with a weapon, grand theft and aggravated battery.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.