NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – A North Miami man spoke to Local 10 News Thursday, a week after he was assaulted while riding his bicycle.
"I'm feeling like I was in fight. I'm feeling beat up," Wayne Galazzi said.
Galazzi spent six days in the hospital with broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and a punctured lung.
Detectives believe he was the victim of a violent prank involving teenage boys.
"I was lucky. I hit my side and shoulder. I could've easily hit my head and bled to death," Galazzi said.
Galazzi said the attack happened about 5:30 p.m. May 12 while he was riding his bike home from work in the area of Griffin Boulevard near Northeast 128th Street.
He said a car pulled up next to him and a teenager got out of the car.
"There was a young kid sitting in the passenger seat, so when I looked at him, he looked at me and he started laughing, and then he reached out with his right arm and he grabbed the backpack that was around my neck and around my shoulders, and he pulled it and yanked me to the ground," Galazzi said.
Dazed and confused, Galazzi managed to pick himself up off the pavement, but it was too late. The teenage pranksters had already drove away, leaving behind Galazzi's backpack, which had an iPad, wallet and cellphone.
North Miami police are calling the incident an ongoing criminal investigation and are concerned that there might be additional victims.
"This could have gone even worse than what it already did. He could've been run over," Officer Natalie Buissereth said. "He could've been seriously injured. I mean, he could've been killed."
"I had a new job, and now my job is on hold while I recuperate," Galazzi said. "I have all these medical bills. I'm in constant pain. Now I have to struggle."
Police believe two teenage boys are behind the assault.
Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.