A would-be robber is facing attempted murder and other charges after he nearly choked a restaurant manager to death then zip-tied and duct-taped her at CityPlace Doral, police said.
Nathaniel Brown Jr., 54, was arrested Monday on charges of attempted felony murder, kidnapping, and armed burglary with assault or battery, an arrest report said.
According to the report, the victim, who works as a facility manager at the Copper Blues restaurant at the plaza off Northwest 83rd Avenue, was walking in to work around 6:15 a.m. Monday when she noticed a man wearing all black and a mask ducking down and trying to conceal himself in the bar inside the closed restaurant.
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When she confronted the man, later identified as Brown, he said he worked for a pressure washing company and was doing work behind the bar, but he wouldn't say which company he worked for, the report said.
Brown suddenly jumped over the bar counter and pushed the woman, who fell to the ground, the report said. He started wrestling with her and choking her with both of his hands, the report said.
As they struggled, Brown told the woman to "shut up" and "don't say nothing" as she was struggling to breathe, the report said.
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The woman later told police that she felt lightheaded and thought she was about to pass out, so she acted as if she had passed out and made her body go limp to try to convince the suspect that she was no longer conscious, the report said.
It worked, and Brown released his grip on her neck, according to the report.
"During the commission of the burglary and kidnapping, the defendant intentionally choked the victim to the point where she could have died but did not because she convinced the defendant she was no longer conscious and lay motionless," the report said.
Brown put duct tape over the woman's mouth and bound her feet and hands with zip ties, then made his way to the manager's office where the safe was kept, the report said.
When officers responded to the restaurant, they found Brown still inside the manager's office, where he was taken into custody, the report said.
The victim was found incapacitated inside the box office of the Miami Improv next to the restaurant. She had bruising to her neck, a cut lip and marks around her wrists, and was treated at the scene.
The report said Brown was caught on surveillance cameras forcing open one of the locked doors at the business.
He was also found with a backpack that contained duct tape, zip ties, two box cutters, black gloves, and black garbage bags, the report said.
Brown was booked into jail, where he remained held without bond Tuesday, records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.
Jail records showed he was already out on bond on two counts of strongarm robbery.
