MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – An Amazon delivery man could soon face charges after a 73-year-old man told Miami Beach police that he struck him with his cellphone phone after the victim told the employee to put on a mask before entering the condominium building where he owns multiple units.
Surveillance video from the building appears to corroborate the victim’s statements.
According to an incident report, the victim, Ray Breslin, told police that the man was trying to enter the lobby area of the building at 255 24th St. shortly after 9 a.m. Monday without a mask.
Breslin said he told the man that he was not allowed to enter the building without a mask and he tried to close the door, but the man put his foot out to keep the door open.
According to the police report, Breslin repeatedly asked the driver to put on a mask but he refused to do so.
“He felt that I was being disrespectful to him by the way I handled him not wearing a mask,” Breslin told Local 10 News on Tuesday.
Police said Breslin grabbed the packages from the driver at one point and placed them near the door, and then used his foot to try to push away the driver’s foot from the door.
Authorities said the driver returned to his vehicle, put on a mask and returned, ultimately getting into an argument with Breslin in the back of the lobby.
Breslin told officers that the driver had a cellphone in his hands and put the phone up to his face, striking Breslin once with it.
Breslin said the driver told him he struck him because Breslin hit him first, although the video obtained by Local 10 News does not show Breslin striking the driver.
“He hit me just like this and he smashed me in the face,” Breslin said.
Police said the driver then grabbed the packages he was supposed to deliver and left in an unknown direction.
The driver is expected to be charged with simple battery.
His identity is not yet known.
An Amazon spokesperson released a statement to Local 10, which read: “This does not reflect the high standards we have for delivery service partners. We are addressing the incident with the delivery service partner and can confirm that this individual is no longer delivering Amazon packages. We are in touch with the customer to make things right.”
Breslin told Local 10 he has not heard from Amazon, but is only interested in justice.
“I want to see the man arrested, I want to prosecute him,” Breslin said.
Anyone with further information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.