Last month, Miami Beach police enacted a rescue operation for a two-year-old boy from an apartment deemed a dangerous "trap house" laden with drugs and firearms, as seen in released bodycam footage. According to NBC Miami, this wasn't the first time the law enforcement visited this location, with a history of responses to overdoses, and domestic disputes reported at the South Beach address.
The toddler rescue followed a tip from maintenance workers who cited a child's presence while on a repair job. Miami Beach police devised a crafted approach for the operation, "Instead of going in guns drawn — because of the 2 year old — they lured everyone outside of the location," Officer Christopher Bess of Miami Beach police articulated in an interview obtained by Local 10 News.
Upon securing the apartment, officers uncovered three loaded handguns, nearly eight pounds of marijuana, oxycodone pills, baggies of cocaine, and over $18,000 in cash. Two arrests were made: Keanti Collins, the apartment's registered tenant and Stephen Rich, the father of the toddler. "They probably prevented him from being exposed to the cocaine and oxycodone pills that could have killed him," said Bess in a Local 10 report.
Authorities described a stark scene where a children's cartoon played in the background while officers handled the chaotic conditions of a drug den. The 2-year-old child was in danger once again, according to Bess, and the Florida Department of Children and Families has taken the child into custody for safety as the investigation continues.
The incident has raised awareness about the dangers faced by children in such environments, and authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
