The good Samaritan who jumped into action to save a woman being attacked and strangled with a shoelace at a Miami-Dade bus terminal last month said it was an instinct to help.
"I didn’t hesitate because, for me, it was clear what I had to do," Billy Bohrt said.
The attack happened Jan. 2. The victim, a 26-year-old woman, was waiting for a bus at the stop at 3814 Northwest 25th Street, police said.
Officials said the suspect, 27-year-old Aaron K. Quinones, approached the woman from behind and started to strangle her with a shoelace.
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Surveillance video shows the woman begin to defend herself as Quinones started to beat her repeatedly.
The video shows another man — now identified as Bohrt — step in and hold Quinones until security arrived. Quinones was charged with attempted murder.
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Now more than a month after the attack, Bohrt told NBC 6 he did not see that the girl was being strangled. He only heard her scream. When he ran over, he saw her on the floor fighting off Quinones.
"When I saw the video on the internet, I was really surprised … I was terrified," he said after rewatching the video.
Bohrt said his mom in Bolivia, where he lives, alerted him to the video. She said she recognized him immediately.
Now, Bohrt has a message for the victim.
“I would say to her that she is very courageous that she’s an example for all the girls that could be in that very difficult situation," he said. "She is very courageous.”
Bohrt is leaving for Bolivia in two weeks and says he would like to meet the victim before he goes.
