PORT SALERNO, Fla. — Authorities in Martin County, Florida are on the lookout for a masked man who violently attacked a woman outside her home in Port Salerno on Thursday morning. Deputies from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene near Field Street and 47th Avenue just after 6 a.m.
According to Sheriff William Snyder, the victim put up a fight when the suspect attacked her. “Out of nowhere, without any warning, a suspect attacked her in the car,” Snyder said. “He grabbed her around the throat, pushed her back, reached over into her car, took her tote bag, and then fled on foot.”
Neighbors were startled by the incident, with one resident, Joann Hulett, mentioning that her daughter ran outside upon hearing the screams. “She jumped up, she ran out to see what happened, and they were saying attack, attack,” Hulett said.
The sheriff’s office is now offering a reward for anyone who can locate the victim’s stolen tote bag. Residents in the area are shaken up by the incident, with one resident, Terrence Hulett, expressing his concern for his family’s safety. “My mom’s here, I got family here. It could have been one of them,” Hulett said. “That’s the biggest concern for me. It could possibly have been one of them.”
This incident has left the community in shock, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward to assist in the investigation. The victim’s safety and the apprehension of the suspect are now top priorities for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.