ORANGE COUNTY,Fla. – A woman was thrown to the ground and held at gunpoint outside a hotel Saturday in the Orlando tourist district and robbed, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim and her husband, both in their 70s, were walking into the entrance of the Courtyard Marriott on Austrian Court near the Orlando ICON Park Saturday at 8:41 p.m. when an unknown man ran up behind the woman and pulled her Michael Kors purse knocking her to the ground, according to the report.
Surveillance video of the incident shows the man in a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, with possibly bright blue shirt or underwear point a handgun at the woman on the ground as he pulls at her bag.
ARMED ROBBERY: On 1/18 at 8:45 PM, this couple in their late 70s were returning to their I-Drive hotel when this person snatched the woman's purse while pointing a gun at her. The suspect fled as a passenger in a tan/gray crossover SUV. If you have any info, call @CrimelineFL. pic.twitter.com/98fA9gnTpy
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) January 22, 2020
The man continued to pull until the bag broke and he took it, according to the report. When the woman’s husband attempted to help her he was knocked to the ground, the video shows.
Deputies said the $300 purse, $400 in gift cards, $30 in cash and a $500 iPhone were stolen from the victim.
The unknown man got into a grey or brown SUV and fled the parking lot.
Tourists we talked to said they hope the man responsible is caught.
“To rob, a 78-year-old woman is very messed up,” Tony Samzong said. “I hope you get caught.”
“The situation makes me mad,” Ariane Stone said.
"It’s something that doesn’t need to happen," said Jessica Foyle.
News 6 got mixed reactions about the husband seen in the video trying to fight back, so we asked deputies.
“We understand it is instinct to protect your loved ones, however, we don’t recommend that. In this case, we’re fortunate the firearm was not fired,” said Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Christian Marrero.
Anyone with information about the man or the vehicle in the video is asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.
A spokesperson for Courtyard Marriott released this statement after the attack:
“The safety and security of our guests and employees is always a top priority. Because this matter is under police investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”