Robber's polite 'excuse me' sets up victim in Tamarac, deputies say

Deputies search for snatcher of woman's beloved gold heart pendant

TAMARAC, Fla. – A 69-year-old woman told Broward Sheriff's Office deputies a man approached her car and politely said, "excuse me." But he was not a gentleman.

Sandra "Sandy" Strivelli said the robber's act quickly persuaded her to open her window, so he could snatch her beloved 18-Karat gold pendant from Italy. She said it was a gift from her late ex-boyfriend.  

"I don't want this to happen to anybody else," Strivelli said on Wednesday. 

Strivelli said she was waiting for her 67-year-old boyfriend, Ronald Wasserman, inside a red Chevrolet Cobalt at the parking lot of Milano Italian Grill at 8767 NW 57 St., in Broward's city of Tamarac. 

"The man came from the right hand side, through the window, grabbed Sandy by her neck, trying to grab chains from her neck," Wasserman said. "This woman put up the strongest fight you can possibly imagine." 

According to deputies' incident report, the robber took the $100 gold heart from Strivelli about 6:20 p.m., Sept. 4. Strivelli and Wasserman described the robber as a tall, skinny man with a short black beard.

Deputies released a sketch and were asking anyone with information to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

 


About the Authors:

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.

Christian De La Rosa joined Local 10 News in April 2017 after spending time as a reporter and anchor in Atlanta, San Diego, Orlando and Panama City Beach.