12 July 2023 , 09:55
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A six-year-old girl valiantly fought off a man who tried to kidnap by biting him in order to free herself.
The youngster, identified as Ah’lyric, was nearly kidnapped her home in the Miami apartment building, according to police, while she was playing with her siblings in the courtyard last Thursday (July 6).
Eventually, the other children returned home, but the young girl decided to spend more time outside, police said.
The child was then approached by 32-year-old Leonardo Venegas who allegedly grabbed the young girl by the arm and began carrying her away, according to an arrest report obtained by NBC South Florida.
She foiled the would-be kidnapper's plan when she bit him and ran away after he attempted to pick her up and abduct her.
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The ordeal was captured on surveillance footage (NBC News)“I bit him,” Ah’lyric, told NBC South Florida Monday. She said she learned the defence tactic from her mother.
The bite caused Venegas to drop the girl. He allegedly slapped her before fleeing, police said. “I’m glad she knew how to fight back,” mother Teshia McGill told the outlet.
According to the arrest report, A'hylric quickly recovered from the slap and dashed around the building to tell her aunt what had happened.
Investigators tracked the car’s license plate to capture Venegas. He 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.
'I’m glad she knew how to fight back', her mother said (NBC News)The footage allegedly shows Venegas get out of the white Range Rover and walk toward the building. Moments later, he is seen running from the scene back to his car.
“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.
“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."
Leonardo Venegas allegedly attempted to kidnap the girl (Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation)The department is looking into whether there have been additional victims, he added.
Venegas allegedly told police he had been in the area looking for houses to buy, but the complex had no “for sale” signs, police noted in their report.
When he was asked why he was running away from the apartment complex, he told cops he had heard someone screaming. He requested an attorney when investigators asked about his interaction with the girl.
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