Crime

Man grabbed a 2-year-old at a Miami-Dade park and tried to leave with him, police say

This is the sketch of a man who Miami-Dade police say tried to abduct a child at Southridge Park, 11250 SW 192 Street, on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.
This is the sketch of a man who Miami-Dade police say tried to abduct a child at Southridge Park, 11250 SW 192 Street, on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Miami-Dade Police Department

Police on Tuesday released the sketch of a man suspected of trying to abduct a 2-year-old boy from a Southwest Miami-Dade County park, and detectives are asking the community to help them identify the suspect.

Around 12:15 p.m. Sept. 15, the child’s mother and her son were at Southridge Park, 11250 SW 192 St., which is behind Miami Southridge Senior High School, when she saw a man walk toward the playground area and sit on a bench.

The mother told investigators that as she walked toward her vehicle, she felt her son being pulled away.

“When she turned, she observed the subject grabbing her son by the shoulder and pulling him away from her,” police said in a news release. “The mother confronted the subject, and as he released the child, she ran towards her vehicle.”

The man, police said, fled on foot in an unknown direction.

After the incident, the mother met with investigators and a forensic sketch artist and provided a description of the subject.

Police said the suspect is 30- to 45-years-old, 5-feet-10-inches to 6-feet-1-inch tall, weighs 200 to 220 pounds and has brown hair. He was wearing a gray T-shirt, dark blue jeans and dark sneakers.

Anyone with information is urged to anonymously contact Miami-Dade & the Florida Keys Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477) or online at crimestoppers305.com.

This story was originally published September 26, 2023 at 5:43 PM.

Omar Rodríguez Ortiz
Miami Herald
Omar is a bilingual and bicultural journalist, covering breaking news in South Florida for the Miami Herald. He has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in education from the Universidad de Puerto Rico en Río Piedras.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER