MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Surveillance video captured a tourist being robbed and attacked by four men while visiting Miami Beach.
Miami Beach Police spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez called the attack “rather troubling.”
“They punch him, beat him and leave him there,” he said.
Video shows the 25-year-old victim lying motionless on the ground at first, but then, he goes into, what officers called, a fencing response, which occurs following a traumatic brain injury. His arms and legs go into an unnatural position before he gets up and staggers off camera to find a police officer.
Miami Beach Police’s headquarters are located across the street from where the beating occurred, near the 11th Street Diner, overnight Thursday.
The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center with significant head injuries.
Thanks to the surveillance video and police work, investigators tracked down most of the group to a hotel on Collins Avenue and Eighth Street.
“Within 12 hours of this crime, three of the four subjects you’re seeing on the surveillance video were arrested by our robbery detectives,” Rodriguez said.
Two of the arrestees appeared in Miami-Dade bond court on Friday, discussing how they may pay their bond.
Brian Villatoro, 17, is from Connecticut, and Giovanni Silva Da Cruz and Justin Gonzalez are from New York. All three suspects face felony charges in connection to the incident.
However, one of their accused robbery partners remains on the run and wanted by police.
“This fourth subject needs to be located, needs to be taken off the street,” Rodriguez said.
Police said those they have in custody confessed to their role in the alleged robbery, and they said they only committed the crime because they were sold bad marijuana gummies by the victim.
If you have any information on this brutal 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.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.