A 56-year-old male was caught on video allegedly luring a 6-year-old boy away from his Florida home in broad daylight with the promise of a toy, according to reports. But the alleged kidnapper reportedly received his comeuppance from the boy’s brother and cousin.
The Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement that Jose Reynaldo Martinez Reyes approached the boy around 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Surveillance video obtained by WTVJ-TV shows the male playing soccer with the boy outside the boy’s home.
‘His older brother came in, pushed him and punched him just to get his brother back, put him in the car.’
Police said Martinez Reyes “lured” the boy away from the Northwest Miami residence on foot with the promise of purchasing him a toy.
“The guy came over to me and said, ‘Do you wanna come with me?’ And I said sure,” 6-year-old Jake Rivera told WTVJ.
The young boy had been playing soccer with his older brother in front of their home, but the 15-year-old brother went inside to use the bathroom. When the older brother returned and quickly realized the boy was missing, he immediately notified his adult cousin.
“I was sleeping and my cousin woke me up and said my little cousin was abducted by a man,” said Alfredo Velasquez, the boy’s cousin.
Police stated, “Upon noticing that the victim was missing, his brother and an adult family friend began frantically searching for him. The pair located the victim and subject over a mile away from the residence, walking along the roadway hand in hand.”
Velasquez said there was a physical confrontation with the alleged kidnapper.
“His older brother came in, pushed him and punched him just to get his brother back, put him in the car,” Velasquez told WTVJ.
The child was removed from the alleged kidnapper and placed in a waiting car. Police arrived at the scene to find a civilian detaining Martinez Reyes.
During their investigation, detectives determined Martinez Reyes had no familial ties to the boy. Martinez Reyes was arrested and hit with charges of kidnapping and interference with custody.
Police are urging anyone with any information regarding the suspect or incident to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
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