Would-Be Purse Snatcher Drags Woman Across Jaxon's Parking Lot
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DANIA BEACH (CBSMiami) - Now that's just cold. A man is caught on camera trying to steal a tourist's purse at Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor.
It happened last Sunday, March 8th, in front of the Dania Beach landmark at 128 S. Federal Highway.
"Someone tried to pull a crime of opportunity by stealing a girl's purse. The girl's mother tackled the guy and one of our employees chased him down and got the purse," said Jaxson's General Manager Jerry Smith.
Rebecca Fisher, 24, and her parents were leaving Jackson's around 11:15 p.m. when a man came up to them, grabbed her and threw her to the ground. He grabbed her purse and ended up dragging her across the parking lot when she refused to let go.
Fisher and her parents screamed for help.
"My wife jumped on the guy and I tripped him," the victim's father, Thomas Fisher, said.
CLICK HERE to watch Lauren Pastrana's report
Jaxson's employee William Cruz tried to stop the guy.
"I was working on instinct," Cruz told CBS4's Lauren Pastrana. "The man told me 'my homeboys will take care of you' but I wasn't worried about that."
Cruz's bosses said they're proud of him.
"Will did the right thing," Smith said. "It's always a dicey deal when you go chasing after somebody. But he did the right thing. He did a good job."
"I think he did what any Good Samaritan would have done. He did the right thing. I'm proud of him," said Jaxson's owner Linda Zakheim. "This is just a rare incident. Our area's been very safe. We have full surveillance and we haven't had an incident here that I can ever remember."
The Fishers were only in town on vacation when the incident occurred.
"She learned a lesson because where we're from you leave doors unlocked and keys in the car," Thomas Fisher said. They're from Connecticut.
Detectives said the man they're looking for has a shaved head with distinctive facial hair and weighs approximately 300 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Broward County at (954) 493-TIPS (8477). A reward of up to $3,000 is available for information leading to the man's arrest.