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‘I bit him’: Miami girl, 6, bravely fights off man trying to kidnap her
The little girl stood outside on a staircase when a man approached her and grabbed her arm, the child told police
A Miami girl, 6, bravely fought off a kidnapper outside her apartment, police have said. The girl, Ah’lyric, and her siblings were playing in the courtyard of their complex last week. They soon noticed a white Range Rover parked nearby, an arrest report obtained by NBC South Florida said.
While the other children went inside, Ah’lyric stayed on the staircase outside. A man shortly approached her and grabbed her arm, the child told police. The suspect was later identified as 32-year-old Leonardo Venegas.
The girl tried to free herself and escape, but the man attempted to pick her up and carry her away, according to police. She then bit Leonardo’s arm. “I bit him,” Ah’lyric said, adding that her her mother taught her the defence tactic. The suspect dropped her, and slapped her before fleeing.
"I’m glad she knew how to fight back," her mother Teshia McGill said. Surveillance footage showed the car at the complex. The man was also seen fleeing the scene soon after. Leonardo was taken into custody after a licence plate reader captured the Range Rover's tag.
Leonardo reportedly told investigators he was looking to buy houses in the area. He said he began running after he heard someone screaming. However, upon being asked about his interaction with the girl, he said he wanted an attorney. He was booked into jail and remained held without bond.
"This is a case that has us extremely worried, concerned, something that's not very common," Miami Police Capt. Freddie Cruz said. "Luckily we were able to apprehend this individual."
Offering tips to keep children safe while they are outside, Freddie said, “If you're going to be playing outside, which is a wonderful thing, please, try to play in groups, try to have an adult present, some sort of supervision, know where your children or if you're a guardian, know where they are at.”
Freddie further said they are investigating to find out if there are more victims. "This is obviously something very disturbing, again, something that's not very common in the city of Miami," he said.
