Incident Overview
Key Details
A new video has surfaced showing a brutal beating on a busy Miami Beach street, which resulted in the death of Anna Mathis and a second-degree murder charge for Zaria Liana Williams.
Incident Description
The fatal attack occurred on June 26 at the intersection of 5th Street and Ocean Drive. The cellphone video, obtained by NBC6, captures 20-year-old Zaria Liana Williams repeatedly punching 55-year-old Anna Mathis.
Police Response
Police body camera footage shows officers arriving at the scene and taking Williams into custody. Mathis is seen on the ground with her eyes open and breathing but unresponsive. Officers and a bystander, who identified themselves as a nurse, attempted to assist Mathis.
“Anna, can you hear me?” an officer is heard asking.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses gathered around to explain the events to the officers. One witness, who works at TGI Friday’s, described the scene:
“This girl was on top of her like beating the s— out of her.”
Medical Response
Rescue workers arrived and rushed Mathis to Mount Sinai Hospital. She suffered fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, and a catastrophic brain bleed. Mathis was intubated and her condition deteriorated until she was pronounced brain dead on June 29.
Arrest and Charges
Witnesses reported that Mathis had pulled on a necklace Williams was wearing, prompting Williams to attack. The arrest report details Williams taking a fighting stance and repeatedly punching Mathis, causing her to fall and become unresponsive. A male bystander eventually intervened, pushing Williams off Mathis.
Initially, Williams was arrested on an aggravated battery charge, which was later upgraded to second-degree murder following Mathis’ death.