An elderly insurance salesman was attacked and robbed when he stopped to use the bathroom at a Deerfield Beach park and now authorities are searching for the three suspects responsible.
The 75-year-old victim stopped at Johnnie McKeithen Park on N. Deerfield Beach Avenue Tuesday afternoon when he was attacked by two men as he exited a bathroom stall, Broward Sheriff's Office officials said. The third suspect stayed at the door as a lookout, officials said.
The victim was knocked to the floor before one of the suspects wrapped his arm around the man's neck in a choke hold until the victim lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness, his wallet and cellphone had been taken.
"I was grabbed around the neck. I was thrown down to the ground like a toy just against the wall," the victim said at a news conference Thursday. "I'm a religious man and at that moment I said 'God, is this the way I'm gonna go, in a bathroom floor after being a nice person all these years?'"
Officials said the man was taken to Broward Health North with minor injuries, where he was treated and released.
"They did a complete cat scan on me and did an X-ray, everything was fine. But I'm not fine because I'm having flashbacks," the victim said. "I've been in sales 44 years and I've never ever had an experience like this."
Authorities are asking anyone with information to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
