Miami

Husband and Wife Visiting Miami Brutally Beaten in Hotel To File Lawsuit

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Justin Shapiro is fighting for justice for his clients after they were brutally attacked in their hotel.

“This is an attack that you never recover from, psychologically or physically,” the attorney said. “Security was nowhere to be found.”

Police say it happened July 10th at the Rodeway Inn on NW 167th Street.

The husband and wife were visiting from New York.

“They get a knock on their door,” Shapiro said. "There’s an assailant on the seventh floor in the hallway."

The police report states the suspect, Trayvon Smith, forced his way in.

“He pushed the door in when the door is answered, punches our client in the face, strangles him, makes entry into his room and starts beating him,” Shapiro said.

Police say the victim’s wife goes back up to the room after getting towels from downstairs.

“The assailant suddenly turns his attention to her,” he said.

“Starts beating her, dragging her around the hallway, strangling her, biting her.”

At one point, the elevator opens and Shapiro says hotel staff get off, see the attack, but don’t help.

“Our client is screaming for her life,” Shapiro said. “They do nothing to intervene.”

Police say the suspect brings her down to the second floor where the attack continues.

“He beat her, he bit a chunk of her face off, he forced her to perform oral sex for several minutes under the threat of death,” the attorney said.

Shapiro says police entered the room while the suspect was preparing to rape the female victim.

Smith is charged with kidnapping and sexual battery along with other charges.

We reached out to the hotel for a statement and have not heard back from them.

Shapiro said he is filing a lawsuit against the hotel, their security firm, and the suspect.

“They need a lot of change to make sure this doesn’t happen to the next person,” he said.

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