A 76-year-old Opa-locka business owner is recovering after somebody hog-tied and beat him until he was in critical condition.
Armando Hernandez's relatives are devastated.
"Just think, it could happen to anybody," said his nephew Jorge Hernandez.
Armando Hernandez owns a car repair shop in the heart of Opa-locka and he's been there for decades.
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Sometime Thursday morning at least one person went inside the business at 290 Ali Baba Ave., tied his hands and feet behind his back, then delivered a brutal beating, according to his nephew and police.
"I was able to go in and see my uncle while they were trying to stabilize him," Jorge Hernandez said. "He's badly beaten, he's bruised, he's swelled, he's unrecognizable right now, he's (in) pretty bad shape."
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Relatives describe Armando Hernandez as a dedicated family man, kind and generous.
His wife and other relatives raced to Jackson Memorial Hospital after getting word of the attack. They have no idea why somebody would assault Hernandez.
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Police are hoping to find the suspect.
"They are not yet sure if it's a burglary, we have not identified exactly the circumstances surrounding it," said Opa-locka Police spokesman David Chiverton.
"It's still an open investigation but they are aggressively working to get to the bottom of this," he added.
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