Exclusive video shows officers taking a man into custody and a large Miami-Dade police presence Monday night in Overtown in connected to the abduction, sexual assault and shooting of a 12-year-old boy over the weekend.
Police arrested 43-year-old Aliex Santiesteban and charged him with several counts, including sexual battery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and attempted murder.
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He was booked into the Miami-Dade jail early Tuesday morning.
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The incident happened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday as the boy was walking in the area of Northwest 43rd Terrace and 30th Avenue when he was approached by a man in a black, 4-door sedan, Miami-Dade Police officials said.
The man forced the boy inside the vehicle and drove him to an empty lot in the area of Northwest 45th Street and 31st Avenue, where he was sexually assaulted in the back seat of the car.
At a news conference Monday, Miami-Dade Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said the child locks had been activated on the car, which prevented the boy from getting out.
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Zabaleta said the boy eventually fought the man off, then the man shot him in the face and pushed him out of the car.
The boy couldn't see but was found wandering by a good Samaritan on a bicycle, who led him to a nearby business where they called 911.
Surveillance footage from the business showed the boy covered in blood and collapsing to the ground before police officers arrive.
"The young boy says he couldn’t see at the time. He had lost his sight and he was using his touch to find his way around trying to seek help," Zabaleta said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the scene and transported the boy to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.
Zabaleta said the boy was stable and recovering Monday, but said if the bullet would have gone a millimeter in either direction the boy could've lost his life.
"He still has a long way ahead as far as his recovery is concerned," Zabaleta said. "It's devastating to know that this individual, not only did he have to live the traumatic incident of being sexually assaulted, but then at the same time be shot in the face."
Zabaleta also said the boy had snuck out of his house to visit friends without telling his parents, and had left pillows on his bed in case his parents checked up on him. He was on his way back home from his friend's house when he was approached by the suspect, Zabaleta said.
