A disturbing video appears to show a 32-year-old man attempting to abduct a 13-year-old girl in Miramar, Florida, after allegedly asking her to “give him some kisses.”
The girl was outside a Miramar gas station Monday when she was approached by a stranger wearing a bright orange bicycle helmet. The man reportedly put his arm around her shoulders and began leading her away.
She managed to slip beneath his arm and escape, according to video reviewed by NBC6. As the man abandoned the pursuit, he threw a bright pink headband, which the girl briefly stopped to retrieve.
The visibly upset girl then ran into the gas station seeking help. Police later arrested Michael Polanco, a convicted felon whose criminal record includes an indecent-exposure conviction.
A witness told investigators that Polanco directed “provocative sexual and explicit comments” at the girl, according to a police report obtained by the Miami Herald.
Dispatch audio obtained by WSVN also indicates that Polanco told the girl “to give him some kisses.”
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Police arrested Polanco late Monday after responding to a separate disturbance, NBC reported. Authorities did not provide additional details about that incident.
Polanco faces charges including causing bodily harm, kidnapping and terrorizing the girl.
“We’re glad he was captured before he was able to do something much more sinister,” Miramar Police Chief Delrish Moss said, describing the incident as “deeply disturbing.”
Polanco, who has prior convictions for robbery and trespassing, was denied bond Tuesday.
He is prohibited from possessing firearms and has been ordered to stay away from the gas station.