Miami-Dade County, Florida — A Florida couple says a brief dispute over walking in the road escalated into a violent confrontation involving pepper spray, hair-pulling and a moving vehicle, leaving both with injuries and prompting questions about what led to the alleged attack.
Felyz Rodriguez and Davin Lopez said they were walking to work in northwest Miami-Dade on Sunday when they briefly stepped off the sidewalk and into the road. According to the couple, two women in a vehicle became angry about them being in the roadway before the confrontation quickly escalated.
Video recorded during the incident appears to show a chaotic struggle near the vehicle, including Rodriguez being pulled toward the open driver’s-side door.
Argument Escalates After Couple Walks in Road
Lopez said the encounter began when the women yelled at the couple for being in the road.
“They were like, guys, get out of the road, idiots,” Lopez said, explaining what led up to the confrontation.
Lopez acknowledged that he responded with a “hand gesture” toward the vehicle after the women yelled at them. According to his account, the driver then turned the vehicle around and returned toward the couple.
Rodriguez began recording on her phone as the confrontation intensified. In the video, Lopez can be heard challenging the women and asking:
“why the f–k y’all bothering us,”
The couple said the situation became physical moments later.
Couple Says Pepper Spray Was Used
Lopez said one of the women got out of the vehicle and sprayed him with pepper spray.
“Next thing you know, one gets out and starts pepper spraying me,” Lopez said.
The sound of the spray being released can reportedly be heard in Rodriguez’s recording as she continued filming and captured the vehicle’s license plate.
A separate video recorded by a nearby resident provided another view of the confrontation. The resident can be heard contacting authorities while watching the incident unfold.
“There is a girl in a car trying to run over a guy at the corner of my house,” the resident said while speaking with authorities. The confrontation then shifted toward Rodriguez.
Rodriguez Says She Tried to De-Escalate
Rodriguez said one of the women grabbed her hair during the altercation. Rather than fighting back, Rodriguez said she tried to avoid making the situation worse.
“She yanks me, I’m trying my best to not put my hands on anybody because, instead, of trying to make it worse I’m trying to de-escalate it.”
The confrontation became even more dangerous when Rodriguez was near the open driver’s-side door. According to Rodriguez’s account, while one woman was confronting her outside the vehicle, the other woman got into the driver’s seat and began reversing.
Video from the scene appears to show Rodriguez becoming caught in the open door before being thrown to the ground as the vehicle moved.
Witness Reacts in Shock
The nearby resident recording the incident reacted with alarm as the vehicle moved while Rodriguez was caught near the door.
“Oh my god! Oh my god!” the resident can be heard yelling after seeing Rodriguez thrown to the ground. Investigators said Rodriguez and Lopez were left with bruises, cuts and swelling following the confrontation.
The two women allegedly fled the scene afterward. The couple maintain that the encounter was unprovoked and say they were simply walking to work when the confrontation began.
“It was all unprovoked; we’re just walking,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez Questions Possible Motive
Rodriguez said the incident has left her emotionally shaken and questioning why the confrontation became so violent.
“It’s just sad, honestly, just thinking about it, it confuses me, I’m confused, I’m distraught, I’m just traumatized at this point honestly.”
Rodriguez also questioned whether the incident could have involved a bias-related motive.
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“Is it a hate crime, is it something personal, or is it simply you have nothing to do?” Rodriguez told the outlet.
Rodriguez is transgender, and she raised the question while discussing what might have motivated the alleged attack. Authorities have not been established in the information provided as having classified the incident as a hate crime, and the motive remains a matter for investigators to determine.
Couple Wants Suspects Caught
Lopez later addressed the incident on Facebook, saying he hoped investigators would identify the women involved.
“hopefully they are able to catch these females for causing us distress and emotional/physical damage.”
He also wrote:
“People like this who think it’s okay to just antagonize, provoke and ATTACK ANYONE just out of boredom should pay serious consequences… and we gonna make sure of it,”
The investigation remains focused on determining exactly what happened during the confrontation and identifying those allegedly involved.
What do you think about how this confrontation escalated? Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you think should happen next.
