A young girl bit her would-be kidnapper and ran to safety Thursday night in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, police said.
Leonardo Venegas, 32, was arrested by Miami-Dade Police for kidnapping and child abuse after allegedly trying to “carry” the 6-year-old girl away from her home, according to Local 10. Venegas allegedly sought to drive away with the girl in his Range Rover Velar, but as he “began to carry her away,” the girl bit the man’s arm and ran away to her aunt, police said. (RELATED: Former Aide To Miami Mayor Pleads Guilty To Soliciting Child Porn From 16-Year-Old Boy)
‘Brave’ 6-year-old bites kidnapper to free herself, Miami police say https://t.co/jw3Yv5kx6t
— Louis Aguirre (@LouisWPLG) July 10, 2023
Venegas then retaliated by allegedly slapping the child, Local 10 reported, citing a police arrest report.
Miami Police spokesperson Kiara Delva dubbed the girl “extremely brave,” stating the police department is “thankful” that she saved her own life. However, Delva said the department is worried that Venegas might have harmed other victims in the Miami area. (RELATED: ‘Swatting’ Prankster Triggers Nicki Minaj Child Abuse Investigation)
“We’re quite concerned because obviously, this subject is quite brazen that he would do something like this in a community where there’s many other people around that could have saw exactly what occurred,” Delva remarked. “We’re hoping that anybody in the community that may have been a victim … by this particular suspect comes forward and reports it to the police so they can continue their investigation.”
The suspect is currently being held without the potential of bond at Metro West Detention Center.
Nearly 70% of human trafficking victims in Miami are local, and 40% are minors, according to a local report from January.
“Human trafficking is a reality in our community,” said Det. Jessica Barrel of Miami-Dade Police Department’s Organized Crime Bureau’s Human Trafficking Squad, according to the report. “It’s a daily crime hidden in our backyard.”