Residents of Miami's Little Havana neighborhood are left shaken after a man allegedly kidnapped a 14-year-old girl near loanDepot Park then sexually battered her.
Akil Nathaniel Cousins, 27, was arrested Sunday on charges including three counts of sexual battery on a victim between 12 and 17, kidnapping, and indecent exposure, an arrest report said.
Neighbors told NBC6 on Tuesday that Cousins would frequent the area, specifically an elderly home where he's been removed several times for going inside.
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"The best thing to do to stay safe, to stay in the house, stay in the house, because there are a lot of things going on in this area, a lot of things," resident Irene Leon said.
According to the report, the 14-year-old victim said she'd been kicked out of her home and was sitting on a bench by Northwest 14th Avenue and 7th Street near loanDepot Park in Little Havana around 9 a.m. Sunday when Cousins approached her.
She said he grabbed her hand and walked her across the street to a parking garage before they went into a nearby apartment building's lobby where Cousins pulled down his pants and forced the girl to perform a sex act on him, the report said.
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The girl said they got in an elevator and got out of the sixth floor, where they helped a woman put her groceries in her apartment.
The teen said she whispered to the woman to call police but the woman didn't, and said Cousins again sexually battered her while they waited for the elevator, the report said.
Cousins and the teen left the building where the girl was able to run to a nearby church to get help.
"This individual continued with the sexual act in the building, in the hallway area," Miami Police spokesman Freddy Cruz said. "Later, the victim was able to leave the area, go into a church."
A short time later, police received a report of a man exposing himself at an elderly community and took Cousins into custody, the report said.
While in police custody, an officer saw Cousins masturbating, the report said.
Management for the building where the alleged incident happened released a statement Tuesday.
"We were deeply saddened to learn about the incident that occurred on Sunday. Neither individual is a resident of our building. We are collaborating with law enforcement in their investigation and are heartened to learn that the suspect was apprehended. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family," the statement read.
Cousins, who the report says is homeless, was later booked into jail. He appeared in court Monday where he was ordered held without bond.
Records showed Cousins had been arrested just last year on an indecent exposure charge in a separate case.
"If you know this person, if you have any information or maybe you’ve been victimized by this person, please come forward because this is a person that needs to say behind bars," Cruz said.
