Cops in South Florida are on the hunt for a man they say attacked and raped a woman who was rollerblading near the beach -- and there's surveillance video that purportedly depicts it.
Miami Beach PD says they're in search of a suspect they claim sexually battered a young woman early Tuesday morning who was cruising down the sidewalk near the beach on skates -- where this man snuck up behind her and pounced.
WSVN 7 News obtained surveillance video that captures the man in the act -- and it's horrifying to see ... as it appears to show exactly what police say happened here.
In the clip, you can see a guy creeping up behind this woman while she skates along the path without any clue that someone's about to attack her -- and as he get closer, he eventually wraps his arms around her neck and seemingly starts to strangle/throttle her.
He brings the woman to the ground, and despite a struggle ... gets the better of her as she begins to go limp. Police say the suspect then dragged her into the shrubbery nearby and sexually assaulted her ... leaving her there only to be found later on by a witness.
Cops say the suspect was long gone by then ... and now, they're asking the public to help identify this man. The police say this was an isolated incident, but they're trying to get to the bottom of it STAT ... already noting they have great leads and believe they'll find him.
MBPD is offering a $5,000 reward for anyone who can offer valuable info that leads to the perp's capture. The woman was treated at a hospital ... no word on her current condition.