A man who kidnapped a teen girl at gunpoint and sexually battered her in Fort Lauderdale after two previous failed attempts has been arrested, authorities said.
Rondel Joseph McDonald, 26, was arrested on multiple charges including kidnapping, lewd and lascivious conduct, sexual assault with a weapon, false imprisonment, lewd and lascivious molestation, and displaying a firearm during a felony, authorities said.
Fort Lauderdale Police and the Broward Sheriff's Office held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to announce the joint investigation that led to the arrest.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
Both attempted kidnapping incidents happened on Thursday. The Pompano Beach incident happened around 6:30 a.m. near the 200 block of Northwest 12th Court and involved a 15-year-old girl.
The teen told deputies that a man in a gray sedan stopped and ordered her to get into his vehicle, but she declined and kept on walking.
The man kept driving beside her and pointed a firearm at her, demanding her to get inside the car. The teen quickly ran away and reported the incident after the man had driven away.
Local
Less than two hours later, in Fort Lauderdale, a 17-year-old girl was walking to school near Stranahan High when a man in a gray sedan drove up to her and tried to get her into his car at gunpoint, according to police.
Detectives said the girl told the man repeatedly that she had to go to school, before he drove away.
Both agencies later released sketches of the suspect believed to be behind the attempted kidnappings. Surveillance video showing one of the victims being approached by the suspect's car was also released.
While authorities were investigating the kidnapping attempts, a third incident happened in Fort Lauderdale around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
In that incident, a 15-year-old girl was walking to a friend's house when a man approached and tried to talk her into his car, police said.
The girl refused but the man became more aggressive before he pulled out a gun and ordered her into his car.
In fear for her life, the girl got in and the man drove them to a secluded area where he sexually battered her inside the car, police said.
The third teen gave police a description of the man, which matched the suspect in the first two incidents. Detectives were also able to identify the vehicle used in the incidents.
Investigators identified McDonald as a suspect and arrested him. When he was questioned he confessed to his involvement in the incidents, police said.
"We wish we could have developed probable cause sooner and taken him off the streets sooner before the sexual battery occurred in Fort Lauderdale but although it happened quickly, in my opinion it didn't happen fast enough because someone was victimized, but once we developed that probable cause, the moment it happened, units that were out on surveillance keeping an eye on him were notified and we immediately knew where he was and we were able to apprehend him and recover the vehicle where the sexual battery happened," Fort Lauderdale Police Special Victims Unit Sgt. Hector Martinez said Wednesday.
Jail records showed McDonald was arrested by Fort Lauderdale Police on Tuesday. He was being held without bond Wednesday, and attorney information wasn't available.
Authorities said the information the teens gave helped them in finding McDonald.
"They were extremely brave, they were extremely detailed, they provided deputies with the information that we needed in order to expedite this and hit the ground running," BSO Special Victims Unit Sgt. Yanessa Ayra said. "Both agencies, we did not hold back, we did not sleep, we worked hard, we worked diligently, I can't even tell you the last time I slept."
"We wanted bring justice to these three young girls who were extremely brave and were honestly able to save from this happening in the future to any other female," Ayra added.
