A man's attempt to kidnap a young child from a CVS in Miami Beach was caught on surveillance video, triggering a brief but desperate struggle between the would-be kidnapper and the boy's father. The chilling incident took place at the CVS located at 7400 Collins Avenue, around noon yesterday.
Nicolas Metternich Sternaman, the 26-year-old suspect, was filmed entering the store and, without hesitation, clutching the 4-year-old by his neck from behind—lifting the boy off the ground—in an apparent kidnapping attempt. The child's father immediately intervened, grappling with Sternaman who eventually broke free and fled the scene, according to a WSVN report. Sternaman shed his sweater as part of an effort to evade the father and a subsequently pursuing witness.
According to the report from NBC Miami, responding officers caught up to Sternaman after a brief chase, ending with his arrest without further incident. Onlookers Olivia Nguyn and her mother, who encountered news crews on the scene, expressed their shock. "Oh, my God, that was insane," Nguyn told WSVN. "I can't believe that happened, like, literally right there. In the daylight, yeah. Luckily, his dad was there."
Sternaman, now in police custody, is facing charges of kidnapping a child under 13 and battery. As noted in the arrest affidavit, the boy endured redness on his face and back, was visibly shaking and clung to his mother following the ordeal. The suspect, invoking his right to remain silent, did not provide a statement to the police, and he is held on a $1,000 bond, with an expected court appearance set today.
CVS has made it clear that they are cooperating with the investigation launched by local authorities.
