A brave 6-year-old girl saved herself from an attempted abduction by biting the accused suspect.
The Miami Police Department confirmed the incident happened around 8 p.m. on Thursday in Miami.
Ah’lyric, 6, was playing in the courtyard of her apartment complex when a man approached her and grabbed her arm, Local 10 reported.
The young girl was outside with her siblings when they saw a white SUV parked near the complex.
Ah’lyric sat on the stairway while the other kids went inside. She said she suddenly felt the man grab her towards the back of the stairs, adding that she fought back when he tried to pick her up and take her away, USA Today reported.
“I bit him,” the girl told the news station, noting that her mother taught her how to defend herself.
Luckily, her quick-thinking maneuver worked. Her bite caused him to drop her, arrest documents detailed. The man then slapped the child and ran towards the front of the apartment complex, which allowed her to run and tell her aunt about the encounter.
Police obtained security footage from the apartment complex, which recounted the girl’s story. The suspect’s vehicle is seen pulling into the complex. He was later identified as 32-year-old Leonardo Venegas and was seen on tape walking up to the staircase where Ah’lyric sat and then running back out towards the parking lot before leaving in the white SUV.
Ah’lyric saw the footage and confirmed the man in the video is the one who tried to kidnap her, the documents said.
Authorities arrested Venegas two days later. He was charged with kidnapping and child abuse with no great bodily harm.
He told investigators he was looking for houses to buy, however, the apartment complex is considered HUD housing and there are no “for sale” signs, a report obtained by NBC South Florida stated.
He also told police that he ran when he heard someone screaming, but when they asked him about the girl, he asked for a lawyer. Venegas is held in jail without bond.
Detectives said there may be other victims and asked anyone with information to come forward.
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