A Florida man called police after he witnessed an 18-year-old brutally attacking a 18-month-old girl with a brick as he held her inside an outdoor recycling bin.
NBC 6 reports that Jose Sotomayor told police he was at his home off of the 20100 block of NW 27th Court in Miami Gardens when he heard loud shrieks and screams. He walked outside to see if someone needed assistance, when he noticed someone beating the little girl in the head.
Sotomayor said she rushed into action and jumped on the man, but the suspect managed to get loose and run away. Sotomayor said the only thing he could think of was getting the man to stop.
“I didn’t think anything except to jump on the guy. If I would have waited three, two more minutes more, he would have killed her.”
First responders rushed the little girl, bleeding profusely from the head, to the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. She’s been listed in critical condition.
Police arrested Tristin Tavares Bernard for the incident, after they found him hiding at his mother’s house. The little girl’s uncle told CBS 4 that Bernard was mentally unstable, yet no one expected him to do something so violent.
The uncle also said the little girl’s grandmother, who is also Bernard’s mother, was babysitting the toddler when the incident occurred. The grandmother apparently lost track of the child was calling out for her as the incident took place.
“When she looked back she don’t see her. She’s like screaming Katura, Katura, Katura, where’s Katura, she started checking the room, was checking the room she don’t see the other kid.”
The motive behind the senseless act remains unclear. Bernard is behind bars facing attempted murder, child abuse, and aggravated battery.
The story continues to develop. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
