A man accused of kidnapping a 6-year-old at a Miami apartment complex was arrested after the young girl was able to fight him off, police said.
Leonardo Venegas, 32, was arrested Saturday on charges of kidnapping and child abuse causing no great bodily harm, Miami-Dade jail records showed.
According to an arrest report, the 6-year-old victim was in the apartment complex courtyard playing with her siblings when they noticed a white Range Rover park near their apartment.
The other kids went inside but the 6-year-old stayed on a stairway.
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A short time later, the girl said she was suddenly grabbed on the arm by a man, later identified as Venegas, who started pulling her, the report said.
The girl started fighting back and pulled away from him, so he picked her up and started to carry her away, the report said.
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That's when she bit him on the arm, which caused him to drop her, the report said. Venegas slapped the girl and ran away, the report said.
"I’m glad she knew how to fight back," mother Teshia McGill said.
Surveillance footage showed the Range Rover arrive at the complex and a man get out and approach the stairway. The footage also showed the man running from the scene a short time later.
A license plate reader was able to capture the Range Rover's tag, and Venegas, of North Miami, was taken into custody Saturday, the report said.
Venegas told investigators he was in the area looking for houses to buy, but the complex is HUD housing and there are no "for sale" signs, the report said.
He also told detectives he had started running when he heard someone screaming, but when he was questioned about his interaction with the girl, he asked for an attorney, the report said.
Venegas was booked into jail, where he remained held without bond Monday, records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.
"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."
Cruz offered tips to keep children safe while 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.
"Just protect your kids and look over them, keep a close eye on them, cause anything can happen in the blink of an eye," McGill said.
Cruz added that they're investigating whether there could be more victims, and are asking anyone with information on Venegas to call police.
"This is obviously something very disturbing, again, something that's not very common in the city of Miami," he said.
