St. Petersburg Police are actively searching for a suspect alleged to have violently attacked and robbed a 65-year-old woman Monday afternoon. The incident, captured on a security camera, took place near the intersection of 17th Avenue Southeast and Bay Street Southeast shortly after 2 p.m., where surveillance footage shows the assailant following the woman before assaulting her, punching her in the stomach and causing a cut on her arm, as WFLA reports.
Police described the suspect as a man between 30 to 35 years old, about 5 feet 9 inches tall with a short afro-style haircut, who at the time of the attack was wearing a black t-shirt and black pants, according to the description provided by FOX 13 News, and beyond the physical violence, the man proceeded to use his mouth to remove rings from the woman's finger in a brutal follow-through of the robbery.
In a more disturbing detail revealed by WTSP, "He then placed her ring finger in his mouth to forcibly remove rings from her finger," the officers stated, highlighting the brazen nature of the crime. Furthermore, the St. Petersburg Police Department is appealing to the public for any information on the suspect's identity or whereabouts, offering a contact number (727-893-7780) and a text service (TIP411) for tips that can assist in the investigation.
