By Brooke Prescott And Charles Rabin, Miami Herald
Miami-Dade Police Officer Corey Jones comes to the rescue.
Sounds familiar. It should.
For the second time this week Jones is a hero -- this time for chasing down four juveniles and an adult after they ripped off someone’s purse, then hit her with a car Thursday afternoon.
‘When I first saw it, I thought, ‘Oh man, something horrible is going on in front of me,’ ” Jones said Thursday.
Just Tuesday night, Jones climbed through the bedroom window of a burning home and saved the life of a 5-month-old child. The police chief and Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson praised him at a news conference.
On Thursday, Jones was off-duty at a Miami Lakes Walmart store when he saw a woman getting her purse snatched by two kids through the open window of her car.
The victim, Astrid Herrera, 42, chased the two as they ran to a car that had blocked Herrera in her parking spot. The car struck her. She went to the hospital with unspecified injuries.
And all this took place as Jones looked on.
“I saw the woman scream and run after the [Dodge] Dynasty,” said Jones, who works out of Miami Gardens. “She jumped on the vehicle and attempted to stop it.”
Seeing that Herrera’s injuries didn’t appear fatal, Jones took off, flagging down a nearby Miami-Dade sergeant and catching up with the Dynasty about a mile away. Its five occupants were arrested. Police said they found a stack of purses inside the Dodge, including Herrera’s.
Undergoing Tests
Herrera, 42, who declined to speak with the news media, was undergoing tests at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center on Thursday night. Spokeswoman Lorraine Nelson said doctors wanted to see results before deciding if she could be released.
The adult and four juveniles -- ages 13, 14, 15 and 16 -- accused of the crime were in Miami-Dade police custody. The woman, Cynthia Williams, 39, is the mother of two of the girls.
“Everyone was shocked that a mother would do this with two of her daughters,” said Miami-Dade police spokesman Juan DelCastillo.
Police charged all four with robbery. Williams also was charged with aggravated battery with a motor vehicle and could face an attempted murder charge, DelCastillo said.
Caught On Video
Most of the crime was caught on one of the Walmart store’s video cameras. The store is at Northwest 58th Avenue and 177th Street.
The video shows a clear picture of a woman in a light shirt and dark slacks lying face down on the hood of a car. Witnesses said Herrera smashed her face, which was covered with blood.
The incident occurred as Jones was about to drive away from the parking lot after Christmas shopping with his child.
‘Just Doing My Job’
“Honestly, I’m just doing my job,” he said. “My training kicked in. I’m not looking for any gratitude. But if I can help to serve and protect, I will.”
Miami-Dade Police Director Robert Parker acknowledged Jones was having a good week but that he wasn’t surprised.
“I’m glad to see Corey is having a good and promising run,” Parker said.