A 37-year-old Miami man was arrested Tuesday after a 12-year-old girl reported that he molested her while she was walking to school in Miami Gardens. Police say the girl went straight to school staff with what happened, and investigators later used surveillance video along with a photo lineup to zero in on a suspect.
According to an arrest report described by Local10, the alleged encounter happened around 9:40 a.m. Monday near Carol City Middle School. Investigators say the man, identified as 37-year-old Carlos Alberto Jean, parked a white truck on the swale along Northwest 37th Avenue and 188th Street, approached the girl, wrote his phone number on her arm and then touched her vaginal area over her clothing as he handed back a pen.
What the law says
Under Florida law, lewd or lascivious molestation includes intentionally touching the genitals, or the clothing covering them, of a person under 16 and is prosecuted under Florida Statutes 800.04. Penalties depend on the specific charge and the ages involved and can include felony prison time for adults accused of offenses against minors.
Investigation and custody
Police said the victim later picked Jean out of a photo lineup, and he was taken into custody the next day on counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and battery. Jean provided a statement, though that portion of the report was redacted in the public version. He denies touching the victim’s vagina. As of Wednesday he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with his bond listed as "to be set," according to Local10.
How to report tips
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Miami Gardens Police Department at 305-474-6473 or use the department’s online tip options. Police and school officials urge parents and guardians to go over safe routes to school with children and to remind them to report any uncomfortable or suspicious encounters to school staff right away.
These are allegations; the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The Miami Gardens Police Department continues to investigate the case.
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