A 19-year-old restaurant employee who came face-to-face with a knife-wielding woman at a Snappers restaurant in Pompano Beach last week is speaking out about the terrifying experience, caught on surveillance video.
Betensen Louis shared his emotional account, which occurred just before closing time on Wednesday, May 14.
“I felt like I almost died”
CBS News Miami spoke with Louis, who had only been working at the restaurant for a month. He described the harrowing moment when the woman pulled a knife on him.
“She took out her knife. She pulled the knife out and she tried to stab. She held the knife like that in front of my face. When this happened I felt like I almost died. When the police came I was shaking. I didn’t feel so good. I felt like maybe my life was going to go away. I think she tried to kill me,” he said.
He added, “I tried to help out my family and that is why I work. I want to feel safe and I am supposed to be safe in this country. I am thinking my life is over because if I die I can not help my family.”
Louis urged anyone who may recognize the suspect to contact the authorities.
“I don’t need this to happen to other people. They need to be safe like I need to be safe too. She said she wanted people to unlock the door. She said open the door.”
Manager describes disturbing encounter
Store manager Mahmoud Albakry said the woman initially claimed she was there for an Uber Eats order, though no such order existed.
“She said she was here for an UBER order, but there was no order for Uber. Then she went over to the table and asked people for food and they gave her some. I feel bad for my people, doing their job,” Albakry said.
Earlier incident details
The incident occurred at approximately 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, at the Snappers restaurant located on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard. The Broward Sheriff’s Office said the woman appeared to be acting erratically.
According to BSO, after falsely claiming she was picking up food, the woman used the restroom, then approached a table and placed her hands on customers’ meals. Surveillance footage shows her later wiping down the front counter with a wet cloth. As employees began calling for help and locked the front door, the video captures the woman pulling a knife from inside her hoodie and shouting for the door to be opened.
She then held the knife to Louis’ face and demanded the door be unlocked. He complied, and the woman left the scene.
Louis confirmed he had never seen the woman before.
Call for public to help
The Broward Sheriff’s Office released the surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the suspect.
Anyone with information is urged to give them a call at (954) 321-4236 or contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone.
