A manhunt is underway after a chilling encounter at a Dania Beach gas station left one man wounded from a stabbing described as "random" and "unprovoked." The Broward Sheriff's Office is scouring the area for the assailant who attacked another man shortly before midnight on May 19. The brutal incident took place at the Sunoco Gas Station located at 1201 South Federal Highway, according to a CBS Miami report.
Responding initially to a call about a shooting, deputies upon arrival uncovered not a gunshot victim but a man who had been unexpectedly stabbed. Surveillance footage from the scene shows the suspect, clad in a gray hoodie emblazoned with the logo of The North Face, crossing the street toward the gas station and abruptly attacking the victim, who was standing next to a white truck. The BSO subsequently released the footage in an appeal for public assistance in identifying the attacker, as detailed by WSVN.
After the stabbing, the shaken victim retrieved a firearm and chased after the perpetrator, unleashing multiple shots, none of which found their target. Despite this, no injuries from the shooting have been reported. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office, Gerdy St. Louis, characterized the violence as "random," emphasizing that there was no known connection between the victim and the subject, "The victim was just standing at the gas station, it’s random," St. Louis told WSVN.
The aftermath of the attack and the victim's response caused collateral damage, as nearby business owner Pablo Cuna recounted. The gunfire resulted in bullet holes and shattered glass at Pablo Cuna's Cyber Pizza Cafe, which he has owned for 12 years. "My reaction, if something happened with me, if I had a gun, you know what I mean? But the problem, you need to [be] thinking, in a couple of seconds, the people that are around, you know what I mean? The people will be around, a lot of people," Cuna shared with WSVN. Cuna expressed a measure of disbelief and relief that the gunfire hadn't resulted in additional injuries or fatalities.
The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover. Investigators urge anyone in possession of facts about the stabbing or the individual responsible to come forward. Detective Allison Craven-Swan of BSO Violent Crimes Unit can be reached at 954-321-4384, or tips can be submitted anonymously via Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) for a possible reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
