OAN Abril Elfi
3:42 PM – Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Police say that a 6-year-old girl in Miami, Florida, reportedly saved herself from an attempted abduction by biting the arm of the kidnapper.
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Documents related to the arrest said that the young girl, Ah’lyric, was with her siblings when they noticed a mysterious white SUV pull up and park close to the complex.
NBC South Florida reported that Ah’lyric continued playing outdoors in the courtyard while her siblings eventually went back inside. A man from the white SUV then got out of the car and approached the girl, grabbing her arm.
“She stated that she was suddenly grabbed by the arm … and pulled toward the rear of the stairs. The victim began to fight back and pulled away from the defendant. The defendant then picked up the victim and began to carry her away,” the affidavit stated.
“I bit him,” the girl said to NBC South Florida on Monday, adding that her mother had taught her self-defense techniques.
According to police department records, her intuitive strategy was successful and he abruptly let go of her after being bit, allowing Ah’lyric more time to run and get help from a relative. The man then ran away in the opposite direction of the apartment complex.
The failed assailant’s car and license plate was examined via security footage when the police arrived. Right before the white SUV exited the building, the man, who was later caught and identified as 32-year-old Leonardo Venegas, was seen sprinting back out toward the parking lot after climbing the stairs where the girl was. Investigators tracked the SUV using the license plate seen on camera.
Ah’lyric verified that the man shown in the security footage was the one who attempted to kidnap her.
Venegas was detained by police on Saturday and was charged with kidnapping and child abuse. He was held on bond and placed on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.
Venegas admitted to being the driver of the SUV and the man in the footage, but also claimed to only be there because he was “looking for houses to buy.” However, the report noted that there were no “For Sale” signs nearby and that the complex is subsidized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
When Venegas was questioned about his interaction with the young girl, he invoked his right to an attorney.
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