Police hope to catch New Year's Eve attacker

TAMARAC, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police are hoping to catch a man accused of brutally attacking a woman after she got off a county transit bus.

The alleged attack occurred just after midnight on New Year's Eve. The victim, Kelsey, got off the bus near Northwest 61st Street and University Drive and was walking on the sidewalk and talking to her fiancé on the phone, when she said she felt someone hit her from behind.

According to Kelsey, the suspect followed her. "Out of nowhere, someone from the bus came up behind me and shoved me as hard as he could, slammed me into the ground," Kelsey said. "My face broke my fall, my hand was all scratched up, and dislocated my knee."

The man reportedly dragged Kelsey behind a nearby bush, where Kelsey said he assaulted and robbed her. "When I turned up to look at him, he grabbed my purse and my tablet. He grabbed my glasses off, smashed them, and then [hit me] in the head. [I had] massive welts, couldn't really see, there was a lot of blood, really dizzy," said Kelsey.

The victim said somehow, she popped her knee back into place and chased after the attacker before she collapsed inside a nearby IHOP. Kelsey said, "So I stumbled inside and just told them, 'Call the police, call the police, something's happened, I've been mugged, I've been robbed, he has my things.' And I was hysterical at the time and bleeding, and it was bad. It was really bad."

Kelsey believes the man responsible for the attack was captured on the transit bus' surveillance video. He was wearing a red-and-white striped polo shirt and khaki pants. She believes he is about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 180 pounds, and he may be of Hispanic or African-American descent.

Police hope the released surveillance video will help them catch the suspect. "It's a pretty clear shot of him, so we strongly believe anyone who knows this man will be able to identify him," said Keyla Concepcion of the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Kelsey said she is now afraid to go anywhere at night because of the ordeal. "I don't want to have that fear anymore," she said. "That's not right. Nobody should have the power to instill that in someone."

If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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