MIAMI – A 20-year-old man was arrested Friday after Miami police said he molested a 12-year-old girl who was walking to a local smoothie shop.
The alleged incident was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the area of North Miami Avenue and Northwest 24th Street.
Recommended Videos
According to the suspect’s arrest report, the victim and a witness were walking toward Bubba Tea and Smoothies after school.
As they were walking south on North Miami Avenue, Elijah Jean-Gilles, who is homeless, was walking north toward them, authorities said.
Police said the girl claimed that Jean-Gilles pretended to be picking something up off the ground when he suddenly grabbed her vagina over her clothing.
Police said the victim told detectives that she became “frantic,” slapped his hand off her and she and the witness both ran to the smoothie shop where she called her mother.
According to the report, the witness corroborated the victim’s statement to police.
Jean-Gilles was arrested hours later and declined to speak with police, the report stated.
He faces a charge of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child.