Apr 10, 2026
In an exclusive interview with 7News, a woman described the terrifying moment she was assaulted by two men in Miami Beach. While making her morning walk to work, Fay Ramwali Benton said she was jumped by a man along the Beachwalk between 19th and 20th Streets at around 11 a.m., Thursday. “He grabbed me and I kept on pulling and pulling,” said Benton. That’s when she said a second man approached her. “He looked at me and I went, ‘OK, someone’s coming to help,'” said Benton. Instead of helping a woman in need, the second man joined in on the assault, turning Benton’s horrifying situation from bad to worse. “That gentleman had me here, they were both grabbing me, I think they were trying to get me into the bushes,” said Benton. She desperately fought back against her attackers, shouting for help. “I kept on screaming and screaming. I remember saying, ‘Get off of me.’ I remember saying, ‘Help.’ I remember saying, ‘Stop,'” said Benton. She felt helpless in the moment, fearing what would happen next. “He had his hands, like everywhere. The next gentleman did the same thing on the other side,” said Benton. She believes both men had the intent of sexually assaulting her. She said several witnesses who saw everything unfold just watched, until a third man walked over, scaring the attackers away. Surveillance video from the area shows the two individuals she said were responsible for the attack. “I’m just your normal, average girl that grew up here, you know, and so, clearly, it could happen to any of us,” said Benton. Police were called immediately after and managed to track down and arrest both men within minutes. One of them was found around the 300 block along Lincoln Road. Christopher Martinez, one of the men taken into custody, has a long rap sheet in Miami Beach and has been a frequent resident at the Miami-Dade County jail. After allegedly threatening a rabbi in January, bodycam video captured a Miami Beach officer referring to Martinez as the “Ocean Drive Terror.” Records show Martinez has been arrested more than 80 times. After learning about his history, Benton wonders why he was back out on the street. “I don’t know how much more violent mine could’ve gotten, but are they waiting for something like that?” said Benton. “Whatever they’re doing is not working so something needs to change.” She added that this could’ve happened to anybody who was walking in the area. “We should be able to feel safe, especially here, I mean, look at all the kids, look at all the families. It’s just not right,” said Benton. “Imagine it was your sister, imagine it was your mom. I don’t know how to explain that to my kids.” Martinez and his alleged accomplice, Mishael Vargas, remain behind bars. ...read more read less
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