Man chokes Miami-Dade smoke shop clerk unconscious, makes off with register

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 30-year-old southwest Miami-Dade man faced charges of armed robbery and attempted murder after police said he put a smoke shop worker in a chokehold and made off with the store’s cash register.

According to a Miami-Dade police arrest report, Lazaro Cardenas walked into Smokers Goods, located at 9891 SW 72nd St. in the county’s Sunset area, just before 6 p.m. Thursday.

The report states Cardenas came in “with a shirt wrapped around his hand, pointed in the victim’s direction and demanded the money from the register.”

Police said the clerk refused, beginning a tug-of-war over the register.

According to the report, a struggle ensued and Cardenas placed the employee in a chokehold, causing him to lose consciousness.

Cardenas began to walk out of the store with the register, police wrote, but not before the clerk regained consciousness and tried to stop him a second time.

Police said Cardenas put down the register and put the worker in a chokehold again. This time, he was able to break free and run, yelling for help.

The report states Cardenas followed him out, with not only the cash register, but the victim’s phone.

Less than an hour later, officers found Cardenas, the register and the phone near the dumpster of a nearby IHOP and arrested him.

Cardenas was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $32,500 bond on the two charges, according to jail records.