Miami-Dade County, FL - A man's been arrested for choking a South Florida smoke shop clerk unconscious and stealing the store's cash register.
Miami-Dade police arrested 30-year-old Lazaro Cardenas, of southwest Miami-Dade, on charges of armed robbery and attempted murder.
According to police, Cardenas entered Smokers Goods, located at 9891 SW 72nd Street in the county’s Sunset area, with a shirt wrapped around his hand and demanded money from the cash register.
When the clerk refused, a struggle ensued and Cardenas put the employee in a chokehold, causing him to lose consciousness.
Cardenas then tried to leave the store with the store's cash register, but the clerk regained consciousness and tried to stop him.
Cardenas put the employee in a chokehold again, before fleeing the store with the cash register, as well as the victim's cell phone.
Cardenas was arrested less than an hour later by the dumpster of a nearby IHOP.
He's being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $32,500 bond.