A 6-year-old girl was briefly abducted last week from a Miami apartment complex but managed to escape by biting her attacker’s arm, authorities said.
The alleged abduction occurred Thursday when the girl was in the complex’s courtyard with her siblings when they noticed a white van parked near the apartment, according to an arrest affidavit obtained Tuesday by NBC News.
The 6-year-old girl was left outside while others went inside, and that’s when she was grabbed, the affidavit says.
“She said that she was suddenly grabbed by the arm… and pushed towards the back of the stairs. The victim began to defend herself and she walked away from the defendant. The defendant then picked up the victim and began to carry her away,” according to the affidavit.
“The victim bit the defendant on the arm causing him to drop her. The defendant slapped the victim and ran to the front of the apartment complex,” the affidavit reads. “The victim ran around the building to the front to tell her aunt what just happened.”
Leonardo Venegas, 32, of Miami, was later identified as the suspect and police said he was arrested on charges of kidnapping and child abuse without grievous bodily harm.
Venegas was arrested Saturday, according to the affidavit and Miami-Dade jail records. Venegas was still in jail Tuesday.
He was held without bond on the kidnapping charge, and was also detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, jail records show.
A public defender listed as his attorney in online records was not immediately reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The boy’s mother was not reached Tuesday for comment.
NBC South Florida spoke to the alleged child victim, Ah’lyric, who told the outlet, “I bit him.” The girl herself said that she learned the self-defense tactic from her mother.
The girl’s mother, Teshia McGill, told NBC South Florida: “I’m glad she knew how to defend herself.”
According to the affidavit, surveillance cameras captured a white Range Rover parked near the apartment complex shortly before the boy was seized. Venegas is seen on camera walking towards the rear of the complex. Soon after, Venegas is seen on camera running into the parking lot. The Range Rover is then seen leaving the apartment complex.
The girl identified her attacker through surveillance footage, the affidavit says.
Police were able to identify the Range Rover through surveillance cameras that captured the license plate.
Police found the Range Rover on Saturday, and Venegas agreed to speak with investigators in a recorded interview, according to the affidavit.
He told investigators that he is the driver of the Range Rover in question and also stationed himself near the scene of the kidnapping, but said he was there “looking for houses to buy”.
The affidavit indicated, however, that the complex is HUD housing and there are no for-sale signs. Venegas also identified himself as the man seen walking on surveillance footage at the apartment complex and said he ran away when he heard someone screaming, according to the affidavit.
Venegas invoked her right to counsel, according to the affidavit, when questioned by investigators about her interaction with the 6-year-old girl.
Madelyn Urabe contributed.
