MIAMI (WSVN) - A woman visiting South Florida during spring break was targeted by a man who, police said, forced her to the back of her short-term rental at gunpoint and sexually assaulted her.
The vacation turned into a living nightmare for the victim, who arrived in Miami from Michigan with a group of friends.
One of the friends, Kari Jonee, recounted how the victim alerted everyone about the home invasion at their rental near Northwest 49th Street and Third Avenue in Miami.
Jonee said he was not aware the house was located in a neighborhood that is not considered safe. “I didn’t know this was the part where the most crimes happen. I didn’t know that,” he said.
Jonee says his friend was cooking in the kitchen and he noticed he hadn’t heard from her for quite some time.
“She was taking longer than usual. It doesn’t take that long to cook a pack of noodles,” he said.
Jonee said that by the time he got up to check what was going on, it was too late.
“Then she came back into the house screaming, ‘Hey, everybody wake up, everybody wake up!'” he said.
That’s when she told Jonee she had been sexually assaulted.
“She said that a guy came in the house and held her at gunpoint and told her to be quiet, took her across the street to the backyard,” he said.
City of Miami Police quickly swarmed the street and blocked off the road for hours, as they went in and out of the house and tried to piece together the crime that had just happened.
As for the group of friends, they said they’re just looking forward to going back home.
“We talked to her. She obviously is hurt about that and scared,” said Jonee.
If you have any information on this case, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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