Phone Robbery Victim Followed Suspects, But Was Punched, Kicked and Struck With Folding Chair: Police

Police released surveillance video of the 2 suspects Tuesday

A man who was robbed of his cell phone on a Miami-Dade Transit bus chased after two suspects and then was punched, kicked and struck with a folding chair by one of them, Miami-Dade Police said.

On Tuesday police released surveillance video of the two male suspects in the incident, which they described as an armed robbery because of the folding chair. It took place on a bus on the busway by U.S. 1 and Southwest 184th Street on July 9 at about 6:30 a.m., police said in a statement.

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“When the bus came to a stop they snatched the phone from him and they took off,” Miami-Dade Police spokesman Det. Alvaro Zabaleta said.

The victim, 30-year-old Eric Cooke of Homestead, followed the suspects, according to police, and made contact with the first suspect.

"When he caught up to them and confronted them that's when he demanded his cell phone – not knowing that the second subject was going to come from the side and was going to punch him, kick him," Zabaleta said.

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The suspect then used a folding chair to continue striking the victim, police said.

Cooke sustained multiple lacerations and was taken to Jackson South Hospital, police said.

Cooke did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday.

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Police urge anyone with information on the incident to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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