MIAMI, FLORIDA: A six-year-old girl is being hailed as a hero after she bravely fought off a man who tried to kidnap her outside a Miami apartment building. The young girl, only identified as Ah’lyric, was reportedly playing with her siblings in the courtyard of their complex on Thursday, July 6 when they noticed a white Range Rover parked close by.
A short time later, the other children went inside the apartment but Ah’lyric stayed on the staircase outside. This was the moment when a stranger reportedly grabbed her arm and started pulling her. As Ah’lyric struggled to get free of his hold, the abductor grabbed her up and attempted to carry her away. Attempting to run away, the youngster then clenched her jaw tightly on his arm. “I bit him,” Ah’lyric, told NBC South Florida on Monday, July 11. Injured by the bite, the suspect dropped Ah’lyric and slapped her before fleeing. “I’m glad she knew how to fight back,” her mother Teshia McGill told the outlet. The little girl also revealed that she learned the defense tactic from her mother.
Who is Leonardo Venegas?
Ah’lyric then identified the would-be kidnapper as 32-year-old Leonardo Venegas. Venegas was arrested in Miami-Dade County on Sunday and charged with kidnapping and child abuse for trying to snatch the girl outside of her home, according to police records. According to prison records, Venegas was detained without bond on the abduction accusation and was also subject to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold. The shocking footage of the frightening ordeal showed how Venegas waited for the right time before exiting the white Range Rover and walking toward the building.
The license plate of the Range Rover initially led authorities to Venegas. According to police reports, the suspect told investigators that he was in the area looking for houses to buy, but the complex is HUD housing and there are no "for sale" signs. Additionally, he claimed that he had started running when he heard someone screaming. However, he asked for an attorney when investigators questioned about his interaction with the girl. “This is a case that has us extremely worried, concerned, something that’s not very common,” Miami Police Capt Freddie Cruz told NBC South Florida. “Luckily we were able to apprehend this individual.”
'Just protect your kids and look over them'
Cruz provided advice on how to keep kids safe outside. "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," he said, adding "Just protect your kids and look over them, keep a close eye on them, cause anything can happen in the blink of an eye.” He also stated that they are looking into the possibility of further victims and are requesting that anybody with information on Venegas contact the police. "This is obviously something very disturbing, again, something that's not very common in the city of Miami," he said.
