6-year-old Miami girl bravely fights off man trying to abduct her

A 6-year-old girl from Miami bravely fought off a kidnapper outside her apartment, said the police. Ah’lyric and her siblings were playing in the courtyard of their complex when the incident took place last week on Thursday.

While the other kids went inside, Ah’lyric noticed a white Range Rover parked near her apartment. She stayed on the staircase when a man approached and grabbed her arm. The suspect was later identified as 32-year-old Leonardo Venegas.

In a conversation with CBS Miami, she said, "There was a kidnapper walking to the back where I was sitting. He pulled me. He picked me up. He started running with me."

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"She's really brave," said the girl's mother, Teshia McGill. "She fought him off."

"Then I bit him," said the girl. "Then he slapped me and threw me on the floor."

"(We're) thankful that that six-year-old little girl had a great memory," CBS Miami quoted Miami police officer Kiara Delva as saying. "She was able to give a great description of the suspect involved, which helped our tactical robbery detectives to locate the vehicle. Very brave - she fought for her safety."

As per local media reports, the surveillance footage showed the man fleeing the scene soon after.

The accused was then taken into custody after a licence plate reader captured the car's tag.

He reportedly told the investigators that he was on the lookout to buy houses in the area. He further asserted that he began running after he heard someone screaming. But on being asked about his encounter with the girl, he said that he wanted an attorney.

"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."

“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,” Freddie said offering tips to keep kids safe.

He further said that the police are probing to find out if there were more victims.

"This is obviously something very disturbing, again, something that's not very common in the city of Miami," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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