MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A family visiting Miami Beach from the Midwest said their sense of security was shattered after they were robbed at gunpoint and then ordered to take off all their clothes, early Tuesday morning.
Chicago resident Stephanie Mata broke down in tears and held her uncle, Emmanuel Serano, when asked to describe the frightening incident that took place off 39th Street and Collins Avenue, at around 1 a.m., Tuesday.
Mata and her family had arrived in town from the Windy City on vacation, late Monday evening. Several hours later, they decided to take a walk on the beach. “We turn around, and it’s two guys, and they just told us, ‘Hey, everybody, get down, get down!'” said Mata. “‘Put your hands up. Don’t look at us, and give us all your belongings.'”
“He racked the gun. You don’t know if it’s loaded,” said Serano. “It could be real, it could be fake. The bad thing is, they’re young.”
When asked whether she thought she was going to die, Mata said, “Yeah, because [they said], if we made a wrong move or anything, one of us could have been gone.”
“I’m just glad I didn’t take my 9-year-old daughter,” said Serano. “That’s what I’m thankful for.”
“It was very close to death, I feel like,” said Mata. “It was scary, a scary feeling.”
The victims said the robbery then took an even more frightening turn. “We had to strip naked, not look at [them] and run toward the beach, so they could get away,” said Mata.
Serano translated family member Miguel Garcia’s account. He said one of the assailants kicked him in the face. “On the side of the ear, pretty much, ’cause he was on his stomach, and they patted him down, and they took his wallet with everything,” said Serano.
The victims said the thieves got away with cash, cellphones and credit cards. Worse than that, they said, the subjects also took their peace of mind. “Bad people like that, they don’t care about lives or anybody,” said Mata. “They just care about doing bad [things] to others. They didn’t care about watching us scared. They don’t care about our lives.”
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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