A Publix supermarket manager and a worker in the meat department along busy Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida, were both expected to make a full recovery on Thursday after allegedly being stabbed by a homeless man from Marietta, Georgia over nothing more than a $7.99 chicken Caesar salad, according to Miami Beach police. The attack took place around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday during the store’s evening rush in a scene that played out directly across the street from a string of oceanfront condominiums and hotels in the heart of this urban resort city’s North Beach area. The incident reportedly unfolded near Girl Scouts who were attempting to sell cookies to Publix shoppers at the front entrance. “The safety of our associates and customers is paramount and we are working closely with the Miami Beach Police Department as they continue their investigation,” Publix spokeswoman Nicole Krauss told Patch on Thursday. In attempting to flee the 68 Street Publix with the Caesar salad, police said 43-year-old Matthew Lawrence Miller allegedly ran straight toward off-duty Miami Beach Police Officer Makin Pomares, who was working a security detail at the two-level store. Pomares pointed his taser at Miller and ordered him to get down on the ground, according to court documents. Miller was quickly arrested and charged with aggravated battery, armed robbery, retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said the incident was captured on the store’s surveillance cameras.
Pomares said in court documents that Miller was still clutching the silver knife with a black handle in his right hand when he was confronted. The store manager, identified as Joseph Remy, was stabbed in the chest after allegedly trying to stop Miller from leaving the store. Remy was alerted to the theft of the chicken Caesar salad by meat department worker Alex Felizor, who spotted Miller remove the salad from a shelf and place it in his bag, according to court documents. “Hey, hey. Down. Go down,” Felizor shouted to Pomares as he chased Miller down an escalator from the second level to a first-floor lobby. Wearing a blue sweater, Miller allegedly appeared to be trying to make his way out of the store when he was pulled back by Remy, who grabbed at his right arm. Miller allegedly pulled a knife from his waist and wheeled around toward Remy, court documents said. He then allegedly drove the three or four-inch blade into Remy’s chest with his right hand, the documents added. It was then that Miller allegedly broke from Remy’s grasp and attempted to tackle Felizor, who was stabbed in the left knee during the scuffle. Remy was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center while Felizor was treated at the store. [Source: Miami Beach Patch]