A Hard Rock Cafe waitress who was caught on viral video being shoved by a customer says she is traumatized by the attack and will need counseling.
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Earlier Friday, Miami Police arrested the man seen in the video as he was allegedly trying to board a cruise at PortMiami.
The waitress, Nikki, said she is relieved the suspect is now behind bars. Police say they were able to identify and arrest him thanks to a tip submitted to Crime Stoppers.
Nikki said she and her family have been deeply affected by what happened.
“Me and my family are extremely shaken up,” she said.
She said the confrontation began Sunday at the Hard Rock Cafe at Bayside after she told a man he could not be in an employee-only area.
According to Nikki, she first noticed the man eating garnishes intended for drinks.
“I see this man kind of walk up, and I look over, and he’s eating the garnishes. So, you know, the fruit and the stuff that goes on top of the drinks,” she said. “I see his hands in there, and I tell him, ‘Hey, sir, I can’t have you eating this.’”
Nikki said she later looked up and saw the man approaching her.
“I’m walking inside through the retail store, and I have my head kind of pointed down, and I look up, and I just see this man’s face full of rage and anger.”
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Police identified the suspect as Daniel Ramirez.
After she was shoved, Nikki said she chased after Ramirez to get a picture of his face. She said that’s when he attacked her a second time, leaving her with a concussion.
“He either punched me, smacked me or shoved me down from my face area,” she said. “I remember tasting a little bit of blood in my mouth… and feeling that my tooth is jagged.”
Nikki said Ramirez was arrested while trying to board a cruise at PortMiami with his family.
She wonders how the suspect would feel if something similar happened to a member of his own family.
“I wonder how he would feel if this was done to his daughter-in-law… because I’m somebody’s daughter too and I’m somebody’s family member,” she said.
Nikki said she is relieved but still anxious now that Ramirez is in jail.
“This has all been very, very scary and traumatizing for me,” she said. This has never happened to me before… but I’m very happy that he was arrested.”
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Ramirez is charged with felony battery.