HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) - Police on Monday arrested a 43-year-old man accused of an attempted abduction in Homestead.
Michael Luprecio was charged with attempted kidnapping of a child under the age of 13 and aggravated battery.
The victim, 13-year-old Candace Ramirez, spoke with 7News.
“I don’t know to be honest,” she said. “A bit sick right now.”
After her ordeal, Ramirez was left shocked and distraught.
“I was just crying, you know, ’cause like, it’s never really happened to me and like, I was just thinking about it and how and why did this happen to me? Why did this happen to me?” she said.
According to the arrest report, on Friday, Homestead Police responded to the scene where the alleged kidnapping happened. Once at the scene, an officer met with Ramirez and her mother.
Ramirez, the report stated, told the officer that she was walking her dog in front of her home along SW Fourth Street when she saw a dark Chevrolet turn directly into her driveway. She then saw Luprecio getting out of the car, opened the hood and started looking underneath the bay of the hood as if he was trying to fix his car.
The 13-year-old then said she started walking towards her yard and passed Luprecio. When she walked towards her door, Luprecio, she said, suddenly lunged towards her and grabbed her right wrist and lower buttocks, which caught her by surprise.
“I just ignored it ’cause I didn’t know him and all of a sudden he tried to grab me and then I pushed him away, I screamed at him, and then he grabbed my lower bottom and I was shocked, I couldn’t do anything,” she said.
According to police, Luprecio tried to put the teen into his car.
During a struggle with Luprecio, she said she screamed for help and was able to break free from his grip, ran inside her home and called the police.
“I just ran into my house,” she said. “He [her dog] started barking but he couldn’t do anything, you know, because of his size.”
CCTV video from a nearby business captured Luprecio entering his vehicle and fleeing the scene east on SW Fourth Street.
As detectives continued to investigate the case, they were able to locate Luprecio’s vehicle, which was parked at 1221 NW 9th St. Through video surveillance, detectives saw Luprecio entering his vehicle and drove away.
Officers then made contact with Luprecio during a traffic stop at the 900 block of Northwest Eighth Street in reference to an obscured tag. Luprecio told officers that he had a suspended license.
Luprecio was then read his Miranda rights and agreed to speak to police without an attorney present.
He was arrested and was transported to the Homestead Police Department for booking and was later transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center
Luprecio appeared in court Monday afternoon, where a judge denied him bond.
“I’m gonna hold him no bond,” said the judge. “Sign the order granting a pre-trial detention hearing.”
Luprecio’s attorney asked the judge to release the suspect so he can attend a cancer treatment on Tuesday but the judge said the judge hearing his case will have to decide that.
Police said Luprecio has a criminal history.
“This person does have a criminal history. It is not his first run in with the law,” said Homestead Police Department Captain Fernando Morales.
When told that police captured Luprecio, Ramirez was relieved.
“You know they caught the guy?” said the reporter.
“They did?” she said.
“Yeah. Does that bring you any type of closure?” the reporter said.
“Yeah,” she said.
Now, Ramirez is trying to crack a smile and for the first time in several days, she can smile knowing that Luprecio is now behind bars.
“I just want to say to the girls, all of them out there, to always bring something to defend yourself if a man comes up to you,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez’s mother said she will stay home from school for a few days to catch up on some rest, ease on some of the stress, and spend some time with her chihuahua, Milo.
Homestead Police believe this may have happened to someone else. If something similar happened to you or someone you know, regarding the suspect, contact Homestead Police.
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