MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A woman was pistol-whipped several times in the back of the head during an armed robbery this week in Miami Beach, authorities said.
The robbery was reported about 1:40 a.m. Tuesday in the 1900 block of Collins Avenue.
According to an incident report, an officer responded to the Sultan Mediterranean restaurant and found the victim inside, bleeding profusely from the back of her head and crying hysterically.
Police said the 24-year-old victim said she was walking down the sidewalk by herself when a black male wearing dark clothing approached her from across the street.
Police said surveillance video showed the robber repeatedly striking the victim in the back of her head with a handgun, saying "Give me your s***."
The man snatched the victim's purse away from her, breaking the handle strap, authorities said.
According to the report, the man fled west to 19th Street and then got into the passenger side of a silver SUV, possibly a Nissan Murano.
Police said a silver Nissan Pathfinder was pulled over on the MacArthur Causeway shortly after the incident and two men were detained.
However, a witness was taken to the scene of the traffic stop and told officers that neither man was involved in the robbery.
Both men were released at the scene, authorities said.
The victim told officers that her purse contained only a loaded black Taurus revolver and a ZTE flip phone.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.