Police in Plantation are looking for a pair of crooks who duped an elderly woman into withdrawing $15,000 to claim a bogus lottery ticket then beat her when she refused to hand the money over.
Authorities say the 71-year-old woman was approached at a CVS in Miramar by a Hispanic woman who told her she had a winning lottery ticket but couldn't collect because she was an illegal alien.
A Hispanic man also appeared and the two proceeded to talk the woman into withdrawing the cash and accompanying them to the lottery ticket office, in exchange for an extra $9,000.
The pair drove the woman to three different banks, then drove to an office complex at 4302 West Broward Boulevard in Plantation.
The elderly woman "suddenly feared that she was about to be robbed and clutched her purse," Plantation Police Detective Philip Toman said, in a statement.
Police say the pair started beating the woman until she let go of the purse, then fled the scene leaving the woman in the parking lot.
The woman suffered minor injuries to her hands and face.
Police described the female suspect as between 30 and 40 years old, about 5-foot-4 with a "very large stomach." The male suspect was described as in his 30s, average height with a medium build and short brown hair.
