In the northwestern area of Miami-Dade, Florida, a brave citizen relayed the account of a gritty confrontation with an alleged assaulter at a community park. The community has found its voice in the form of the victim’s family, a distressed eleven-year-old and their anxious relatives.
Mike Santiegue, the Samaritan, narrated how he caught sight of Antwan Johnson, an 18-year-old man and without second thought, persued for a civil arrest. He recalled the chaotic scene, ‘While en route to the restroom, I noticed a ruckus and heard a woman imploringly cry out, ‘Stop that man. He’s assaulted the child.’ He and I made eye contact, leading me to chase him across 22nd Avenue,’ he commended.
No sooner had the chase begun, than Santiegue found himself joined by a forceful group of community members aiming to apprehend Johnson, who stood accused of a sexual assault on an 11-year-old girl in a restroom stall at Gwen Cherry Park. ‘Another gentleman on an electric scooter joined me. He asked for the whereabouts of the accused. We spotted him and cornered him in the back alley, waiting for law enforcement to arrive,’ added Santiegue.
The victim’s father expressed gratitude in a public statement on Friday afternoon:
In an emotional outpouring, the father communicated, ‘My family and I sincerely thank every Good Samaritan and individual involved in the capture of the man who inflicted pain on my child. The numerous texts, calls, and expressions of support are greatly appreciated. My girl, notwithstanding the trauma, is recovering and will receive all necessary aid. As parents, I urge us all to be ever vigilant about the safety of our children.’
Investigators reported that post the egregious incident, Johnson scooted towards the east but was caught short. The onlookers from the park joined the chase and holds the accused until the arrival of the police, as per the arrest report. The sequence concurred with Santiegue’s account.
Santiegue emphasized, ‘Justice is prerequisite and whatever measures necessary should be implemented for the safety of the community.’
Soon afterward, law enforcement arrested Johnson. The incident took place when the young girl had excused herself to use the restroom at her summer camp. Detectives revealed that Johnson had led her to the women’s restroom on the pretext of obtaining toilet paper, as the men’s facilities were without.
Johnson attacked once they were inside. He ‘followed her into the restroom, restrained her, moving her from the washbasins to the deepest stall. The offensive led to a lip cut for the victim as Johnson attempted to mute her cries, and strangulation attempts were made.’
During this awful incident, another park-goer entered the restroom, which led Johnson to desert his act and escape, with the woman raising an alarm. Santiegue accredited Johnson’s arrest to the unity and vigilance of the community.
In Santiegue’s words, ‘Every member played a substantial role. This togetherness and unity is what we should aim for.’
As of the last updates on Thursday night, Johnson remains in custody with no bail granted. He is charged with multiple heavy offences, namely: one count of sexual assault on a minor instigated by an adult, one count of abduction and one count of illegal confinement of a child aged 13 or under. All this was shared by Santiegue who displayed his gratitude on behalf of the community and the victim’s family for having caught the culprit.
A relieved Santiegue mentioned, ‘Had Johnson escaped, the entire community, especially young girls and their mothers, would be living in fear, apprehensive about returning to the park. Thankfully, that’s not the case, and the park remains a safe place for all.’
In addition, he candidly expressed that his act was as is expected from any good citizen. ‘These actions weren’t heroic in any sense; it was simply the right and necessary thing to do.’
Santiegue concluded his account with a resounding message – ‘Shielding the vulnerable ones, that’s the critical takeaway here.’