DADADEL
An immigrant attempted to snatch a 6-year-old girl from her home, but he learned a painful lesson. His would-be victim bravely escaped the terrifying attempted abduction by literally taking a bite out of crime and bringing the alleged kidnapping to an abrupt halt.
Leonardo Venegas, a 32-year-old “white Hispanic” immigrant residing in Miami, may have seen an easy target in a 6-year-old girl sitting alone on some stairs outside her home. However, his attempted abduction took an unexpected turn when the girl fought back, literally biting him and bravely thwarting her abduction.
As reported by NBC News, the young girl, identified only as “Ah’lyric,” was playing with her siblings in the courtyard of their apartment complex. Spotting a white SUV nearby, her siblings went inside for water, leaving Ah’lyric alone in the rear stairway. It was then, that the immigrant allegedly seized the opportunity, attempting to grab Ah’lyric.
According to an arrest affidavit, Ah’lyric recounted being suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled toward the rear of the stairs. Despite resistance, she fought back, pulling away from the defendant. In response, he picked her up and attempted to carry her away.
In a decisive move, Ah’lyric bit Leonardo Venegas on the arm. Startled, the immigrant dropped her, then slapped her before fleeing towards the front of the apartment complex. Ah’lyric quickly informed her aunt of the incident, running around the building to reach her. The affidavit said: “The victim bit the defendant on the arm causing him to drop her. The defendant slapped the victim and ran away towards the front of the apartment complex.”
“He grabbed me, picked me up, and started running with me and I bit him and then he slapped me and threw me to the floor and started running to his car,” said Ah’Lyric.
Upon notification, authorities reviewed security camera footage, revealing a white Range Rover parked near the apartment complex just before Ah’lyric’s abduction. The immigrant appeared on camera, first walking toward the rear of the complex, and then running toward the parking lot. Subsequently, the Range Rover departed from the scene.
“A white Hispanic male grabbed her by the arm, picked her up against her will, and attempted to flee the scene with her,” said Officer Kiara Delva with the Miami Police Department. “Fortunate enough, that 6-year-old brave little girl fought for her life she even bit the subject forcing him to drop her and let her go.”
Thanks to the images captured in the video footage, Ah’lyric identified her attacker, and the police identified the Range Rover by its license plate. Two days after the alleged incident, the police found the Range Rover, leading them to the immigrant, who agreed to speak to investigators in a taped interview.
Venegas admitted during the interview to driving the Range Rover and placing himself at the scene, claiming to be the man in the security video walking into the apartment complex. He alleged he was there “looking for houses to buy,” which seemed implausible given the housing complex’s nature and lack of for sale signs.
When asked about his fleeing behavior captured in the footage, Venegas claimed he ran upon hearing someone scream. When questioned about his interaction with the 6-year-old girl, he invoked his right to an attorney. However, it proved to be too little too late.
Leonardo Venegas, identified as the suspect, was arrested on charges of kidnapping and child abuse, causing no significant bodily harm. Miami-Dade jail records indicate he was ordered held on no bond for the kidnapping charge and placed on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.
Despite the brave girl managing to bite her way out of the abduction, the incident left her family shaken, according to her mother. Teshia McGill also expressed pride in her daughter for defending herself, as Ah’lyric credited her mom for teaching her the self-defense tactic, albeit too little too late.
“Many kids don’t know how to defend themselves, so I’m actually happy she was able to defend herself,” Teshia said.
Miami Police Captain Freddie Cruz issued a warning in response to the incident, urging children and their parents to remain vigilant. Danger can unexpectedly appear, and its onset can be swift.
“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,” Captain Cruz advised, adding, “Know where your children (are), or if you’re a guardian, know where they are at. Just protect your kids and look over them, keep a close eye on them, cause anything can happen in the blink of an eye.”
Vigilance from parents, coupled with teaching children caution and appropriate responses serves as a powerful deterrent against those who target our youth. This proactive approach significantly hinders predators’ ability to harm our children.
