Miami Gardens Police Seek Man In Attempted Child Abduction
MIAMI GARDENS (CBSMiami) – Residents in Miami Gardens are on edge Tuesday as police search for a man wanted for an attempted child abduction.
"This has put everyone in the area on high alert," said neighbor Ashaad Addison. "We are very nervous. I feel bad. I live four houses down and I have five kids in my home. I have a five-year-old and my oldest child is 13. This neighborhood is full of kids playing."
Addison told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "If someone is running around doing this our whole communityneeds to be on the lookout for this person."
Investigators are handing out flyers with a composite sketch of the suspect, a rendering of his tattoo and a picture of his car.
According to police, the incident took place on Friday, August 23rd in the 15-hundred block of NW 189th Terrace.
A man in a 2001-2004 White, GMC 1500 pick-up truck tried to grab a nine-year-old girl who was with her four-year-old sister outside their home checking the mailbox.
The man in the truck opened the driver side door and told the nine-year old to get in the truck while attempting to grab her. She resisted and ran back into the house with her little sister.
The man in the truck drove away.
The 9-year-old girl who narrowly escaped danger has a warning for other children.
"Don't go to strangers at all," the girl told CBS 4's Lauren Pastrana Tuesday night.
Her 5-year-old sister echoed the sentiment.
"The car pulled up and said get in the car you little girl and I ran away," the older sister said.
"She screamed and ran away, which is something we teach all of our little ones. Stranger danger. If it's somebody you don't know, make sure to yell and scream and get away from the person," the girls' mother said.
She said her children are afraid to go outside, and she's scared to let them out of her sight.
"Even now, I just find myself sitting there watching them while they're sleeping because I can't be everywhere with them, but they need to know that mommy always cares. Mommy is always there," she said.
The girl said the sketch is the "real deal."
"Once she finished the sketch, she said, 'That's him. That's him. That's the man right there'," her mother told Pastrana.
Even if cops catch the guy, the 9-year-old won't let her guard down.
"Do what your parents say. Make sure you call 911 after anything happens."
"This was a very brave little girl, especially since this was an older man that could have overpowered her," said Addison.
"The girl was obviously in fear," said neighbor Eugene Thomas. "She realized this stranger had to be avoided no matter what. But I am concerned that there is no more direction. People are just being reckless and disrespectful of people and their lives. This person needs to be caught."
The suspect is described as a black male, 30's, blue eyes, clean shaven, short black hair, with a tattoo on his left hand of a "wasp."
Miami Gardens Police Detective Michael Wright told D'Oench that police do have surveillance tape of the white pickup truck. But they are not sure if they are going to release it as it is grainy.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Miami Gardens Police Detective A. King at 305-474-1549.
If you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at:
- 305-471-TIPS (8477)
- www.crimestoppersmiami.com and select "Give a Tip"
- Send a text message to 274637. Enter CSMD followed by the tip information and press send.
If the tip leads to an arrest, the tipster may be eligible for a reward UP TO $1,000. All calls are kept strictly anonymous.
