Police are searching for a suspect who sexually battered a tourist at Miami Beach early Wednesday.
According to a Miami Beach Police report, the 24-year-old woman and her boyfriend were walking on the 200 block of Ocean Drive when they got into an argument and separated shortly before 3 a.m.
The woman went and sat at a lifeguard stand before she started walking along the water line when she was approached by the suspect from behind. The suspect tried to make small talk with the woman but his English was bad and she did not speak Spanish, the report said.
As they walked along, the man pushed the woman to the ground and got on top of her and ripped the top of her dress off. He then "forcefully kissed her."
“She attempts to defend herself by throwing sand at him,” said Vivian Thayer of Miami Beach Police. “Then she tries to make her way to the water figuring that if she goes into the water, he is no tgoing to follow her.”
Police said the suspect did follow her and dragged her back to the beach. The suspect ripped her underwear and pulled his pants down and tried to rape her, the report said.
As this was happening, the woman's boyfriend was repeatedly calling her cell phone, which was glowing and making noise. When the suspect was distracted while trying to find the phone in the sand, the woman was able to run away and back to her hotel, the report said.
Local
The report describes the suspect as a Hispanic male about 5-foot-7 with black hair. Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
