COCONUT GROVE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Coconut Grove resident said she lent a helping hand to a woman who claimed she was terrorized by an intruder who broke into her penthouse unit and, police said, is connected to several burglaries at the same apartment complex.
Speaking with 7News on Wednesday, Daniella Abela said her neighbor came to her for help at their apartment building, located in the area of Virginia Street and Oak Avenue.
“She was banging on my door, screaming for life, ‘Help! Help! Help!’ And when I opened the door, she was hysterical,” said Abela.
Abela said her neighbor told her she was attacked by a man who broke into her apartment.
“She definitely was bleeding. There was blood on my door,” said Abela.
The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Benny Rhaney Jr., has since been captured. He is also accused of a series of eerie encounters with residents of the same building.
According to his arrest report, the penthouse break-in took place at around midnight on June 21.
Investigators said the victim woke up to the noise of Rhaney breaking into the unit.
When she went to see what the noise was, police said, the suspect pulled out a gun, demanded money, kicked her in the face repeatedly and threatened to shoot her dog, who had begun barking during the attack.
“She was sitting on her bed, holding her dog, just kind of letting him ransack her apartment, basically, and then she didn’t really know what to do,” said Abela. “He started demanding oral sex, and she said she thought to herself, ‘Like, do I scream or do I prepare myself to do this? Like, is he gonna shoot me?'”
Police said the victim started to scream, and that’s when Rhaney ran away.
The suspect was later arrested. On Wednesday morning, he appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer.
“Sir, you were arrested for seven cases. They’re all burglaries; one is a sex battery and home invasion robbery,” said Glazer.
Investigators said Rhaney was also behind at least six burglaries in the same apartment complex that date back to January.
Residents shared surveillance videos of who they believed was Rhaney, inside and outside their building, during those various incidents.
Rhaney is being held with no bond.
Abela said she’s thankful her neighbor is OK and the suspect remains behind bars
“It’s such a beautiful place to live, and I am so lucky, but it’s just so, so scary,” she said.
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