Florida thug caught on video violently snatching lottery winnings from 83-year-old woman, who falls to the ground amid fight

A male was caught on surveillance video violently robbing an 83-year-old woman of her lottery winnings in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday morning and running away — but a suspect has been arrested and thrown in jail.

You can view surveillance video here of the robbery, which took place outside a store on Curry Ford Road near the intersection of South Goldenrod Road, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.

‘I don’t remember hitting the ground. For me and my age, I wasn’t scared. But looking at his face — his face was cold.’

The sheriff’s office said deputies believe the perp is Diego Stalin Tavarez Fleury, and authorities asked the public for help finding him and provided a mug shot of him.

According to WTLV-TV, the incident took place at 8:17 a.m.

In the clip, the woman walks to her car from the store but apparently doesn’t notice the robber — who’s wearing a red jacket and dark baseball cap — approaching her from the far end of the walkway in front of the store.

By the time the woman notices the culprit, he’s just feet away from her and begins reaching for items in her hands, and the woman pulls her hands away from his grasp.

Soon another male emerges from the store — WESH-TV reported that it was the store manager — and he and the robber appear to exchange words. For a couple of moments, it seems as though the robber is about to depart the scene, but he suddenly moves on the woman, after which the store manager intervenes, grabbing the culprit’s arms from behind.

The elderly woman resists the perp as the store manager continues to struggle with him, but as the woman falls to the parking lot surface, the crook appears to snatch something from her hand.

With that, the culprit escapes the grasp of the store manager and runs away, and the store manager then attends to the elderly woman, who’s still on ground.

ABC News reported that Fleury faces charges of robbery, sudden snatching, and battery on a person 65 or older.

WOFL-TV said a new arrest report indicates an anonymous caller tipped off deputies that Fleury was hiding out at a home about a half-mile from the convenience store — and that while he tried to run when deputies arrived, he was arrested a street over. The sheriff’s office announced Fleury’s arrest less than 24 hours after the incident took place.

‘I mean, if more people took a step up and tried to help other people, wouldn’t it be a better place … ?’

The victim in the physical attack and robbery — Ruth Monroe — was back at the store to get a lottery ticket just a day after the incident, WESH said, adding that deputies said the name of the store is Buddy’s Food and Lotto.

“I’m 83. I’ve never gotten punched,” Monroe — whose left hand was bandaged — told the station from the driver’s seat of her car.

Monroe added to WOFL-TV, “I don’t remember hitting the ground. For me and my age, I wasn’t scared. But looking at his face — his face was cold.”

Ae Sun Lee, who works at the store, told WESH that Monroe is a regular customer.

“Just for fun,” she told the WESH. “Bingo, scratch ticket, lotto.”

Sun Lee added to WESH that she recognized the male accused of robbing Monroe, calling him a “troublemaker” who isn’t a regular customer but instead “just hangs outside.”

As for her store manager, Sun Lee told WESH that “he always helps people. Not only this person. Always.”

Another regular customer, Debbie Davis, told WESH that she isn’t surprised the store manager stepped in to help and wishes more folks would do the same.

“I mean, if more people took a step up and tried to help other people, wouldn’t it be a better place … ?” she asked WESH.

You can view video reports here and here about the incident and its aftermath; both include interviews with the elderly victim.

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