Miami dad arrested on child abuse charges after missing daughter, 15, found safe

A Miami father was arrested for alleged child abuse after his missing 15-year-old daughter was found safe, records showed.

Luis Roberto Cruz, 45, was arrested Tuesday on two counts of child abuse with no great bodily harm, Miami-Dade jail records showed.

Miami-Dade Corrections

Miami-Dade Corrections

Cruz's daughter had gone missing from the Model City area of Miami last week but Miami Police confirmed Wednesday that she was found safe.

Cruz spoke with NBC6 earlier this week, making an emotional plea for help in finding her.

"My fear is that someone maybe got her to leave… and took everything from her… As a parent, I do fear the worst," he said.

Cruz spoke about disciplining his daughter but said he loves her and her brother.

"I have to be a little tough on her at times, because she's always getting in trouble at school," he said. "But I always tell them, 'you're my favorite son and you're my favorite daughter,' because they're my only ones."

But according to an arrest report, after his daughter was found safe, she told officers she ran away because she was a victim of child abuse by her father, which is why she ran away from home.

The teen told officers she ran away on April 11 after an argument with her father, who she said threatened to kill himself, the report said.

She said Cruz became upset and punched her in the face two or three times and kicked her in the knee, causing a bruise, the report said.

She added that it wasn't the first time he'd done this, and that he often beat her and her brother, the report said.

The teen said she waited until Cruz went to work then ran away.

When detectives interviewed the girl's 17-year-old brother, he said he'd heard and witnessed his father abusing his sister, and that he was often abused by his father as well, the report said.

The brother said the last time he was abused was in November of 2024, when Cruz punched him in the face, chest and legs, the report said.

He added that Cruz and his family "told him to lie to the police if asked of physical abuse at home," the report said.

When investigators confronted Cruz with the abuse allegations, he denied them but said he and his daughter got into a verbal disagreement about moving to Connecticut, the report said.

Cruz said he never physically hit his kids with a closed fist but would typically discipline them by taking away their electronic devices, the report said.

Cruz was booked into jail and appeared before Judge Mindy Glazer on Wednesday, who set his bond at $5,000 and ordered him to stay away from his children.

"It's a just crazy situation," Cruz told the judge.

"Listen, it's hard being a parent, they're gonna offer you some counseling, hopefully you'll be able to get reunited but you know your actions, words have actions when you're an adult and you have to be careful what you say to kids and how you treat them and also disciplining them, okay?" Glazer said. "Never stop learning."

The Florida Department of Children and Families responded and initiated a safety plan, the arrest report said.