MIAMI – Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding a man who was captured on surveillance cameras attacking 7-Eleven employees and striking one with his bicycle after allegedly stealing a bag of potato chips from the store Monday morning.
Miami police said they responded around 10:30 p.m. to a 7-Eleven store, located at 1200 Brickell Bay Dr., after receiving a call of a strong-arm robbery.
According to police, both victims reported that the man entered the store, walked over to the “Gulp Station” and filled a cup with ice and water.
Authorities said the man then grabbed a bag of potato chips and began walking toward the front door without paying.
According to a Miami police news release, one of the employees attempted to confront the man from the outside as the other walked over to confront him from the inside of the store.
Police released surveillance video Friday of the man pushing the front door open and forcing his way out, causing one of the victims to fall to the ground.
The video shows the man pushing the employee to keep her on the ground and then kicking her.
The second victim was seen coming to the rescue of the co-worker and was then struck repeatedly by the man with his bicycle.
Surveillance video also shows the man punching the second female employee while she was on the ground.
Both victims were “battered several times” during the incident but are OK and did not need medical treatment, according to police.
Detectives reviewed surveillance cameras at the store which depicted an unknown black male, 35 to 45 years of age, standing approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing around 150 pounds, authorities said.
The suspect has a goatee with a short haircut and was last seen wearing a blue long sleeve camouflage shirt and cargo shorts on a bicycle.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Miami Police Department at 305-603-6370 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
Local 10 News reporter Andrew Perez contributed to this story.