Collier deputies seek violent robbers targeting people walking home

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COLLIER, Fla.- Officials say innocent victims walking home from work are being attacked, beaten and robbed. In the last two weeks, it’s happened to nine people and some of the cases are eerily similar.

Angelica Gonzalez witnessed one of the robberies and isn’t afraid to discuss it. In fact, she may have uncovered a clue that could help track down at least one of the suspects.

“I thought, this is the guy. I am going to take a picture,” said Gonzalez who snapped a picture of a man she believes was one of the suspects she saw in a brutal robbery in East Naples.

Tuesday, Gonzalez was driving and looked out the window.

“I asked my daughter ‘is that someone hitting someone?’ and she said ‘yes.'”

The victim was beaten, bruised and left bleeding. Reports show two Hispanic men got away with the victims cash, ID and cellphone.

“He was afraid that they had a knife or a gun,” said Gonzalez. “He was thankful and said he was lucky they didn’t hurt him worse.”

Gonzalez was his hero, kind enough to stop and scare the burglars away. When the suspects ran, she even tried to follow them after helping the victim.

This is just one robbery to a person that has happened in the past two weeks. There have been a total of nine over that time period.

Fernanda Romero’s uncle was one of them.

“His ID, wallet [was taken]. They hit him on his hands, back and head. He had bruises on his hands, on his back and blood on his arms,” said Romero. “My uncle is really scared and my step-dad is afraid.”

The last three robberies all had the same suspect descriptions from witnesses.

Deputies are looking out for two Hispanic men with dark skin, a skinny build and in their early 20s. Their getaway car is black.

Gonzalez is determined to help deputies. A day after the robbery she witnessed, she noticed a man that looked like one of the suspects and snapped a picture.

“I saw the guy and I said, I think this is the guy,” said Gonzalez. “I hope they catch them.”

The picture was turned over to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies are continuing to investigate.

The robberies took place near Green Boulevard, Georgia Avenue, East Delaware, North 2nd Street, Alamo Drive, Colorado Avenue and North 7th Street.

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