MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A trip to South Beach turned into a nightmare for a Minnesota family after, they said, they were chased by a man with a machete, Sunday evening.
According to Gabriel Alvarez, he, his girlfriend, and her daughter had just finished taking pictures on the beach and were headed back towards the 1400 block of Ocean Drive.
The family was speaking to each other in Spanish and that is when Alvarez said they were confronted by an unknown man. “‘You [expletive] people in Spanish. What are you doing here?'” said Alvarez.
The confrontation then escalated. “He started to hit the pavement with the machete in a menacing way,” Alvarez said in Spanish. “My wife saw him doing this. She was very close to him. She was scared, she thought she was going to die, so she yelled at us to run away from the other side of the street.”
“With this criminal attack that happened, we are afraid to return,” Cecilia Simbana said in Spanish.
A brief chase ensued, but Alvarez said, they were able to escape and call for help. Miami Beach Police were able to track down the man, identified as 38-year-old Milot Richards, along with the machete.
Richards appeared before a judge Monday morning and has been ordered to stay away from the victims. “So you are now charged with six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,” said Miami-Dade County circuit Judge Mindy Glazer.
During his appearance, Richards said he did not know the family. His bond was set at $12,500. He was also charged with possession of crystal meth.
As for the family, they said they do not plan to return to Miami Beach anytime soon.
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