NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Surveillance video captured products and merchandise flying during a brawl at a North Miami Beach beauty supply store that led to an employee’s arrest.
A store employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told 7News the fight happened Thursday morning.
The employee said it started when a customer, who’s also a former employee, came in, and at some point, the two women exchanged words.
The next thing she knew, the customer lashed out and threw a mannequin her way.
“I really wanted to hurt her,” she said. “[She] started throwing stuff all over the place and going crazy. Throwing stuff at me from behind the counter.”
The customer is then seen in the video charging towards the employee while grabbing supplies and throwing them at her.
The employee said at that point, she had no choice but to leave the counter to stop the woman and defend herself.
“So I went out, instead of her coming there, so she wouldn’t make any more damages, I came outside behind her,” she said, “and I was trying to grab her, you know, trying to fight her to stop throwing stuff all over the place, but she wouldn’t do that. She was backing up and started throwing stuff.”
The fight did not stop there.
“She was backing up, throwing stuff and then she picked up the wet sign, and she hit me with it, and that was it,” the employee said.
The woman then took off, and that’s when the employee called police.
The store had been left wrecked after the fight concluded.
When police arrived, she said, they charged her with simple battery.
“Of course I want the charges to be dropped because I was not the one who started it, you know,” the employee said. “They’re the ones who touched me first, and that’s when I reacted.”
The employee said she hopes the surveillance video paints an accurate picture to police and her alleged attacker of what really happened.
“I’m going to stick to my story because that’s exactly what happened,” she said.
The employees plans to fight the battery charge.
If you have any information on this incident that could help investigators, 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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