Father caught abusing his toddler in Sunny Isles Beach could face deportation

A man arrested last week after video allegedly caught him abusing his 2-year-old daughter in Sunny Isles Beach was in court Friday requesting a form of release from jail. 

According to Sunny Isles Beach Police, officers responded to an anonymous report of possible abuse at a condo building on Collins Avenue.

In surveillance video reviewed by police, Andrei Sevastianov was seen allegedly roughly carrying the child in the lobby from the pool of the residential building.

An arrest report said another video appeared to show him choking the child with a towel. The child was seen flailing her arms as he squeezed her.

At one point in the video, police said, he lets go of the child, looks at her and then slams her head. 

The report continued to detail the violent incident, which included Sevastianov dropping and kicking the child.

When asked about the allegations, Sevastianov allegedly told police that "his daughter was being fussy. She wasn’t listening to him to get out of the pool because it was getting late. It was time to go to bed. She wasn’t obeying him, so he started to pack up the things and take her upstairs," Amanda Ranallo, an officer with Sunny Isles Police, said on Friday during a hearing. 

Sevastianov has pleaded not guilty, and on Friday, his attorney slammed Ranallo for writing assumptions on the police report and not facts. 

"Did you make that assumption that he slammed her against the wall?" asked Savid Seltzer, an attorney representing the father.

"Yes," Ranallo responded. 

"You also include in your report he pinned her against the wall?" Seltzer asked.

"Yes," Ranallo replied.

"Can you see that in the video?" Seltzer asked.

"You can't see that in the video," Ranallo responded. 

At the end, Judge Michelle Delancy determined that Sevastianov's behavior was inappropriate, rough, and abnormal. 

"He definitely dropped her, he definitely kicked her, and he manhandled her, manhandled her, I mean that he was really rough," Delancy said.

However, the judge went against the state's request and granted the defendant house arrest total lockdown and ordered for him to stay away from his children. Sevastianov will be required to turn in his passport. 

On the other hand, it's possible that because Sevastianov has an immigration hold, the father might not be allowed to be released from custody.  

"There is a possibility he could be deported before we are finished with him serving justice here," the judge said.