Florida man attacks Miami Beach tourists with hammer: cops

Two Colombian visitors’ vacation to Miami Beach took a turn for the worse after being attacked with a hammer and an iron table.

Jeremy Rivers, 33, was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempted murder and robbery in connection to an altercation that left the visitors seriously injured.

According to his arrest report, a hammer-wielding Rivers entered the tourists’ unlocked apartment on the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue at roughly 10:30 Saturday morning. He immediately began making demands but because they did not understand English, Rivers had to gesture to one of the men to tie up the other.

Rivers went into the bedroom and started ransacking the place, according to the report. Eventually, he grew frustrated at their inability to communicate and hit the man who wasn’t handcuffed in the head with the hammer. He then put down the hammer, grabbed USB cords and tied them around the man’s neck, rendering him unconscious.

Seeing this, the other man broke free from his ties and began wrestling with Rivers for control of the hammer. While they tussled, Rivers grabbed an iron table and knocked the man unconscious, police said. Rivers then left the apartment.

Four days later, Miami Beach police located Rivers and placed him in custody. He’s currently being held at Miami-Dade jail without bond.

C. Isaiah Smalls II is a reporter covering breaking and trending news for the Miami Herald. Previously, he worked for ESPN’s The Undefeated as part of their inaugural class of Rhoden Fellows. He is a graduate of both Columbia University and Morehouse College.