At the beginning of the month, a man was shot and killed in his gated community in Miami because a robber was after his cell phone.
Earlier this month, video was released of a woman struggling against a young man threatening to beat her up on a bus in West Oakland Park. The target was her cell phone.
On Tuesday, video of the suspects released after they took a man’s phone on a Miami-Dade transit bus. The victim chased them and wound up getting beat with a metal chair and taken to Jackson Memorial.
People being severely beaten or killed for an electronic device is becoming a growing, sick epidemic. How to keep safe? The first step is letting it go.
“Property can be replaced a life can’t. So once you give chase. To an individual who is running away with your property you don’t know what their mental state is, if they’re armed or what they are capable of doing,” said Alvaro Zabaleta, spokesman for Miami-Dade Police.
You might think to stop bringing your electronics when out in public, but that’s just not practical.
“Technology is part of our daily life if I leave my cell phone at home you probably feel like your helpless, like you can’t function,” he said.
Rather, you’re being asked to be more alert.
At your discretion be aware of your surroundings. If you feel threatened maybe leave the phone in your pocket or in your bag.
If you see a crime like this happen, pay attention because you could help in the investigation.
“You can look at the direction of the subjects, which direction of travel if they’re in a car, what type of car, what color car if we have a tag even better,” Zabaleta said.
Many phones and electronic devices have tracking devices available for download. If you want, you can download them but don’t activate it without the help of police.
You don’t know who you’re going to run into when you get it back.