He says he’s not a hero, but his co-workers think he likely saved a woman who was brutally beaten for her purse outside a Tempe restaurant near Priest Drive and Elliott Road.
Kirk Ofte was working Saturday when he noticed his regular customer on the ground.
"I just wanted to get him off the lady," Ofte said. "I mean, if I get hit, I get hit, but I just wanted him to stop beating the lady."
Kirk ran outside, armed with his tray of dirty cups, and threw it at the suspect.
"It had to stop, I mean the guy...I could see the lady's face just bleeding, she was screaming,” Ofte said.
The suspect ran off with the purse and hasn’t been seen since.
"I still have dreams; I have nightmares, a couple nights ago, the first night anyway, I was shaking,” Ofte said.
Tempe Police say they now have surveillance video and it’s under review.
Police say the suspect is a black man, with a bald or shaven head. He was wearing diamond stud earrings during the attack.
He is described by the victim as being approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall.
Anyone with information about the incident or the suspect's whereabouts is urged to call Tempe police.
