A 32-year-old Davie man is facing kidnapping and battery charges after Miramar police said he tried to abduct a 13-year-old from a Shell gas station on Monday evening. Officers say they tracked the suspect down a short distance away after a separate disturbance call pointed them toward a man matching his description.
Police said Michael Polanco attempted to kidnap the teenager at the Shell station at 2840 South State Road 7, with the incident reported at around 5:34 p.m., according to NBC6. Polanco then fled westbound away from the gas station, per the Miramar Police Department. As CBS Miami reports, Polanco fled after the alleged attempt.
While responding, officers received information that a man matching Polanco's description was causing another disturbance nearby, and police were diverted to that area, the station's report notes. Officers detained the suspect for investigation once they arrived. The teenage victim and a witness then positively identified him as the man from the gas station, and he was taken into custody, per the same account.
Charges and Booking
Polanco was arrested and transported to the Broward Sheriff's Office before being taken to the Broward County Main Jail, where he now faces charges of battery causing bodily harm and kidnapping involving bodily harm or terrorizing the victim, according to the earlier NBC6 report. Florida law classifies kidnapping as a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in prison, according to Florida Statutes.
Police said Polanco has a history of prior offenses. The CBS Miami report describes his record as including felony battery, resisting arrest and exposure of sexual organs, while NBC6 reported that his history includes felony battery, burglary with assault, narcotics offenses and exposure of sexual organs.
Open Questions in the Case
Court records have not been made available confirming the specifics of the allegations, and it remains unclear what conduct police say constituted the attempted kidnapping and battery. It is also not known at this time whether Polanco has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
A Michael Polanco also appears as a plaintiff in a 2024 Florida Third District Court of Appeal opinion involving a lawsuit against Miami-Dade County after being struck by a county bus, according to court records reviewed via CourtListener. It is not established whether that plaintiff is the same person arrested in this case.
