Police are looking for suspects who robbed a Winter Haven mom in broad daylight while at a park with her toddler.
It happened Thursday morning at about 10:00 at Kiwanis Park.
The mom and her toddler were in the fenced area of the park, and nobody else was there at the time.
She reportedly saw a black male wearing a black hooded sweater and dark pants enter the park from the west. She also says she saw a second black male approach from the east, that one wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and gym shorts.
The woman says she felt uneasy so she picked up her child and started walking to her car.
As she was approaching, both suspects walked behind her and said "give me your money or I'll shoot!"
She said she felt something in the middle of her back and the man wearing the gym shorts punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground holding her child.
"He just knocked me in the face and he said give me the purse or I’ll shoot," she told a 911 dispatcher.
While she was on the ground, the same man that punched her reportedly grabbed her purse from around her neck and they both ran from the scene.
"I was carrying my child when he knocked me over so my child fell," she said, during the 911 call.
She immediately ran to a business across the street from the park.
“I stopped what I was doing and immediately called 911," Tracey Hancock said.
She and another coworker stayed with the Winter Haven mother until help arrived.
"You shouldn't have to face that at a park. No matter where the park is located. You should be able to go to that park and enjoy your time there with your children," Hancock said.
As detectives canvassed the area, they found a man working on a nearby house who said he saw two men matching the description getting out of an older model gold pickup truck, possibly a Chevrolet S10 with an extended cab and head towards the park.
About 45 minutes after the attack, the victim's bank card was used at a Redbox at a CVS in Auburndale. Shortly after, it was used at Ace Wireless to purchase two cell phones.
Video surveillance of the truck was obtained at the CVS and the man who punched the victim is seen inside of the Ace Wireless store.
The suspects are both described as black males, between 18-25 years of age and between 6'0" and 6'4."
Anyone who can identify the suspect is asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477).
"We are urging the public to take a good look at the video we obtained," said Chief Charlie Bird. "To target a mother with her toddler in brought daylight is reprehensible. These guys must be caught before someone is seriously injured."
