A group of women who were caught allegedly shoplifting in a Florida Victoria’s Secrets lingerie store turned on the clerk and beat her up before fleeing. The beating was caught on video and now police are asking for the public’s help tracking the attackers down.
A store clerk of the Victoria’s Secret store in Miami Lakes, Florida, was stunned when she stopped a shopper from walking out the door with a bagful of merchandise. But instead of catching a shoplifter, she caught a beating.
The worker told police that she saw a woman attempting to leave the store with her arms loaded with items she had not paid for. The sales associate said when she asked the shopper if she could hold the items for her while she shopped, the woman almost immediately exploded in violence.
The clerk is clearly seen on store surveillance video being accosted by a woman at the front of the store but what is more shocking is that four other shoppers–apparently in league with the first woman–joined in and began beating punching and pushing the clerk.
Other customers stood by doing nothing, apparently stunned as the attacks continued.
The five women left the store, but one turned around and ran back in to deliver a final punch to the store clerk’s face before all five finally fled for good.
Police say that surveillance video is not clear enough to show faces, but the clerk was quick witted enough to take some very clear still images of the attackers with her cell phone.
Miami-Dade police are now asking the public to help them identify the women in the photos. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Tipsters may qualify for a $1,000 reward..
The store has added in-store security personnel to protect shoppers.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com