MIAMI (WSVN) - Police have arrested one of two men who allegedly beat and robbed a tourist in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.
Malcolm Jamal Foster, 26, was arrested on Thursday after City of Miami Police were contacted by his lawyer stating Foster saw himself in the media and wanted to turn himself in.
Foster faces a strong arm robbery charge.
He is suspected of attacking a man in the area of Southwest 11th Street and South Miami Avenue at around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 2.
The victim told 7News two men he met earlier in the night attacked him as he walked back to his hotel from a convenience store nearby.
“I was terrified. I was worried for my own safety,” said the victim, who asked not to be identified.
Surveillance video showed two men approaching the victim. He said they didn’t have a previous confrontation but could tell by the way they walked up to him, they were asking for trouble.
“Out of self-defense, I did throw a hot liquid, as my only form of self-defense,” said the victim.
Seconds later, police said, the men knocked out the victim, causing him to hit his head against the wall and fall onto the sidewalk.
The victim said he only knows what happened because of the video.
Foster and the other man are seen fleeing the scene, but later in the video, they are seen coming back.
“Just minutes later, you can see the two men walk back, and then they rummage through his pockets,” said Miami Police Officer Kenia Fallat, “and what you can see is the victim was unconscious.”
The duo fled the scene a second time with the victim’s cellphone and cash.
A responding officer found him bleeding from his nose and the back of his head. He was transported to Mercy Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.
“This situation, I think, should be a great reminder to folks to always be aware of your surroundings,” said the victim.
Foster was held on a $7,500 bond that has since been posted.
7News cameras captured him leaving the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in a white Ford Mustang convertible with tinted windows.
Police continue to search for the second subject involved.
“Turn yourself over to us. It’s just so much simpler, and give closure to that victim, because they left him there in a pool of blood,” said Fallat.
If you have any information on this attack, or the second assailant’s identity or whereabouts, 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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