NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have arrested a woman accused of striking an employee during a dispute at a Metro PCS store at The Village Flea Market and Mall in Northwest Miami-Dade.
Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue units responded to the scene along Northwest 27th Avenue and 79th Street, around 4:20 p.m., Wednesday.
Investigators said some kind of dispute occurred at the store involving an employee.
A man who the business said regularly goes to the store to sell used phone parts could be seen in surveillance video footage grabbing $200 that was left on the counter top.
A customer at the store could also be seen in the video confronting the man.
The man then fled the scene, leaving behind the items he was selling as well as the money.
A witness said he saw security guards chasing after the man.
“I was just coming in the flea market, and I had seen all the security guards running,” said witness Max Abu, “so I went around the barber shop to see what’s going on over there. One of my boys, he said, ‘Oh, Jesus. They had tried to rob Jesus.’ He tried to go in there and tried to take the guy’s phones and stuff.”
“And then I just heard somebody say, ‘Get down! Get down!” added witness Brandon Elie.
An employee at the store said the man eventually came back holding what appeared to be a machete.
At some point during the dispute, a woman who was with the man holding the machete got upset and allegedly hit the employee.
She has since been arrested and charged with battery.
The man with the machete was also taken into custody.
However, police eventually released him as they could not prove without a doubt that the money on the counter top wasn’t owed to him from his regular business conducted at the store.
“It’s just dangerous. I’m questioning, like, I thought to at least be more protected,” said Elie. “That’s not Godly. It’s scary.”
The incident was originally reported as an armed robbery but that turned out to not be the case.
Police also mentioned that no shots had been fired despite initial reports.
No injuries were reported.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.