Brian Hamacher

Man Accused of Molesting Girl in Miami Supermarket

Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 59, was arrested Friday on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

A man was arrested after he was allegedly caught on surveillance cameras molesting a 7-year-old girl inside a Miami grocery store.

Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 59, was arrested Friday on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to an arrest report.

The report said the incident happened as the girl was waiting in line with her father at the Sedano's supermarket at 3801 W. Flagler Street. Gonzalez was standing behind the girl when she said he touched her private parts over her dress, the report said.

The girl didn't tell her father until they were about to leave, and the father asked the manager to see the surveillance footage, which confirmed her claim, the report said.

"Video surveillance at the incident location clearly showed the defendant intentionally touching and grabbing the victim's buttocks and genital area several times," the report said.

The father told officers he tried to hold Gonzalez at the store until police arrived, but Gonzalez pulled out a pocket knife and said in Spanish "if you hit me, I'll stab you," the report said.

Gonzalez, who has a Miami Beach address in the report, was taken into custody and hospitalized. He didn't appear in bond court Monday, and attorney information wasn't available.

"At Sedano’s, our customers’ safety and well-being have always been one of our top priorities. Our hearts go out to the victim and her family. We are fully cooperating with authorities in their ongoing investigation, and thus, cannot comment further," Javier Herran, Chief Marketing Officer of Sedano’s, said in a statement.

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