Miami Mother Shot in Face by Robber After She Gave Up Her Purse -- and X-Ray Shows Bullet Lodged in Her Throat

A 36-year-old Miami mother of two was walking out of a restaurant Thursday when she was held up for her purse. CBS4 out of Miami reported even after she relinquished her bag, the robber still shot her in the face.

Evelin Matamoros, 36, was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where doctors were not able to remove the bullet lodged in her lower jaw due to its precarious location, CBS reported.

X-ray shows the bullet still lodged in Matamoros' jaw. (Image: Jackson Memorial Hospital via CBS)

The Matamoros' jaw was fractured by the bullet's trajectory and she was operated on Wednesday by maxillofacial surgeon Michael Peleg to fix her bones and shattered teeth.

“The bone fragments are very close to vital structures of the neck such as blood vessels. She’s at great risk of infection due to the nature of her surgery and the contamination of the surgical field," Peleg said at a press conference, according to CBS.

The doctors will insert a plate into Matamoros' jaw during the surgery, but up to three more surgeries could be needed. CBS reported it could be more than a year before she will be able to eat and speak normally.

Watch the report:

As for the robber, NBC Miami reported 20-year-old Kamiah Lanier was arrested eight hours after shooting Matamoros and is currently being held without bond on charges of attempted murder and owning a firearm as a convicted felon, among others.

Police spokeswoman Kenia Reves told NBC "not only are we cleaning the streets from people like this, but we also recovered a firearm."