Lauderhill woman says she stabbed man who followed her from ATM – NBC 6 South Florida

A woman says she fought back against a man who attacked her and tried to steal her purse in Lauderhill. According to police, the man was slashed with a knife.

The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. Thursday in the 4300 block of Northwest 21st Street.

Lauderhill police said officers responded and learned a fight had occurred and the victim had pulled out a knife in self-defense.

Cell phone video showed the victim, Robinette Varnidoe, holding a knife and screaming at the suspect.

Varnidoe told NBC6 she was on her way home from the ATM when she noticed the man following her.

She said he followed her all the way to her house and when she went inside, he dragged her outside. She said she grabbed a knife and stabbed him in self-defense.

“He grabbed my purse and my phone and tried to steal my money and then we started arguing and then I hurt him,” Varnidoe said.

Police said the suspect was slashed by the knife and fled the scene before officers arrived, police said.

A short time later, officers received a call that a “suspicious” man was bleeding in the 4500 block of Northwest 26th Street, police said.

Officers found the suspect and took him into custody before he was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in stable condition.

Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed officers with the man lying on a sidewalk.

Police identified the man as Ferroid Thomas. He was later released from the hospital and booked into jail on a burglary-cum-battery charge, police said.

According to police, the victim had purchased toiletries from Thomas early Thursday and when she went to the ATM, he confronted her and accused the victim of stealing from him.

The victim told Thomas that she would simply return the products to him and bring the items to him outside the home and that he did not have permission to enter, police said.

But Thomas forced his way into the victim’s apartment and grabbed the victim’s cell phone before a physical altercation ensued and Thomas took the victim’s purse, police said.

She then grabbed the knife as Thomas continued to fight her, and the victim cut the suspect with the knife, police said.

The incident remains under investigation.