A man in Florida was severely injured after an unidentified individual reportedly ambushed him outside an Aldi grocery store. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office has made public images and footage of the incident, which took place around 7 p.m. on October 11 in Lauderdale Lakes. The video shows the suspect confronting the victim, who was shopping with his service dog at the time.
According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect lingered outside the store, waiting for the victim to exit before launching an unexpected attack. The victim was knocked backward by the force of the punch, causing him to hit his head on the ground. The impact resulted in significant injuries that led to the victim falling into a coma.
Broward County Crime Stoppers released a statement indicating that the victim had sustained permanent injuries from the attack. The victim’s brother, who wished to keep the family’s identity private, confirmed the victim’s comatose state in an interview with local news station WPLG. He described the situation as a “total nightmare” for the family and appealed to anyone with information about the suspect to come forward.
The surveillance footage released by the sheriff’s office shows the suspect approaching the victim, who was with his service dog in one of the store’s aisles, and engaging in a heated exchange. The suspect is then seen exiting the store.
The footage further shows that when the victim and his family left the store, the suspect was waiting outside. The brutal attack was captured on camera, and the suspect was seen fleeing the scene immediately after.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about the suspect to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), submit a tip online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone in the United States. The sheriff’s office has stated that a tip leading to an arrest could result in a $5,000 reward for the tipster.