MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Police are searching for a man who was caught on camera robbing a Miami Beach hotel cashier at gunpoint, Sunday night.
According to surveillance video and police, the subject held up employee Becky Sarmiento at the Ocean Surf Hotel at gunpoint, at around 8:30 p.m.
The victim told 7News the robbery will haunt her for years. “I barely sleep. I see his face everywhere,” she said. “I thank God nothing happened to me. I could have been dead.”
Sarmiento, 28, said she was working the weekend shift at the hotel, located at 7436 Ocean Terrace, when all of a sudden, a man rushed through the front door and aimed a gun at her.
“He said, ‘Nobody move or I’ll shoot,'” she said. “He came up to me and put the gun in my face, saying, ‘Give me all the money.'”
Acting fast, Sarmiento said, she reached back and grabbed cash from the drawer. “He did seem very scared, nervous,” she said, “but I saw that if I didn’t rush, he seemed mad. He would definitely shoot me.”
Police said the armed robber fled the hotel with $600.
While the security video doesn’t capture a clear picture of the robber, Sarmiento said she will never forget his face. “He had a tattoo on the right side of the eye. Dark eyes and a little mustache right here,” she said as she pointed above her lips.
Miami Beach Police described the subject as armed and dangerous. “Not only did he point [the gun] at the cashier, he also made statements that he would kill her if the victim did not provide the money,” said Miami Beach Police Officer Ernesto Rodriguez. “Thankfully, she cooperated and provided the $600 in the register. Now what we’re looking for is the public’s help in identifying this subject.”
Days later, Sarmiento said, she is still shaken. She has a message for the man who held her up and took off running. “Think about your actions. You can ruin your life. You can ruin somebody’s life,” she said.
If you have any information on this robbery, 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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