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A judge in Miami-Dade sentenced the man who attempted to kidnap a six-year-old girl in Miami in July 2023 to 30 years in prison, a case that went viral due to the way the child managed to escape: by biting her attacker on the arm.
Leonardo Venegas, 35 years old, was facing a life sentence, which ultimately was reduced to 30 years.
The trial, which took place last November, concluded when the jury, after deliberating for about two hours, declared Venegas guilty of kidnapping and child abuse.
According to a report by NBC Miami, the assailant's lawyers claimed his innocence, arguing that the girl misidentified him.
On the other hand, the family asked for an opportunity for his rehabilitation. But the judge was relentless: "I am very sorry about your situation. You care about him. You have a lot of hope, but hope does not help me protect the community," he said.
The attack occurred on July 6, 2023, at an apartment complex located in the Little Haiti neighborhood in northeast Miami-Dade.
According to the arrest report, little Ah'Lyric was playing in the building's yard with her siblings when a white Range Rover arrived at the scene. The other children went inside the apartment, but she stayed sitting on the back stairs.
The man grabbed her by the arm, lifted her up, and tried to run away with her. She bit him on the arm, which forced him to release her. Then he slapped her and fled toward the front of the complex. The little girl later recounted that she learned that defense tactic from her mother, who had taught her what to do in a dangerous situation.
Venegas was arrested two days later following an investigation in which the security camera footage from the complex and the testimonies gathered by the authorities were crucial.
Days later, the Miami Police Department honored the girl in recognition of her bravery, making her a symbol of the importance of teaching children self-protection strategies. The young girl received a talking doll, a bicycle, and a small police plaque as gifts during a ceremony where the officers gave her a standing ovation.
"There was a kidnapper walking towards the back where I was sitting. He pulled me. He lifted me up. He started running with me," the little girl recounted, in a testimony that had a profound impact during the judicial process.
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