MIAMI – Miami police issued a safety alert Monday following a disturbing incident they say was captured on surveillance video in Little Havana last week.
According to investigators, the video shows a man peering through the window of a home near the intersection of Southwest 10th Street and Seventh Avenue while engaging in lewd behavior on Aug. 21 at approximately 6:45 a.m.
Police said surveillance video shows the man peering into the living room window of a fourplex where a 6-year-old girl was present and was touching himself while standing outside.
Jose Larrynaga, the girl’s father who was not home at the time of the incident, learned about the situation when he said a friend called to warn him that someone might be trying to steal his tools. When he checked his security cameras, he saw the horrifying scene unfold live on his phone.
“I found out because my friend called me to warn me that someone was trying to steal my tools, and to check my cameras,” Larrynaga added. “I was indignant. I couldn’t even work well that day because of the anger I was feeling.”
The girl’s family is now reeling after police said the man exposed himself to her while she was inside changing clothes.
“Our daughter is terrified. She doesn’t want to sleep alone,” Larrynaga told Local 10′s Liane Morejon in Spanish.
“This case is, of course, very alarming. Our detectives do not take these types of cases lightly at all,” said Kiara Delva, a public information officer with the Miami Police Department.
On Monday, Miami police officers returned to the Larrynaga home to speak with the victims. While the culprit did not steal any tools, the family’s sense of security has been shattered.
“It’s dangerous to have someone like that on the loose, going around doing things that are wrong,” said Ingris Hernandez, the girl’s mother, in Spanish.
Larrynaga urged anyone who may know the culprit to contact police.
“Please call the police so they can arrest him. Because no one knows if he’s done this before,” he said.
Police are searching for the man who they said had a tattoo on his forearm and was last seen driving a black Honda Civic. He was last wearing an Adidas shirt with a logo on the back, according to investigators.
“We cannot afford to have someone like this on the streets of the city of Miami,” Delva added. “This case is, of course, very alarming and our detectives do not take these types of cases lightly.”
Digna Hernandez, who lives nearby, told Local 10′s Liane Morejon that she had seen the man wandering around before but did not believe he was from the neighborhood.
“I hope the police find him before we do because, imagine, we’re going to grab him,” Hernandez said.
Anyone with information about the man’s identity is urged to call the MPD at 305-603-6640.