A 13-year-old girl fought off a man who grabbed her in a headlock outside a Florida gas station, escaping an alleged kidnapping attempt that was captured on surveillance cameras.
The encounter happened around 5:34 p.m. on October 19 at a Shell gas station in Miramar, where the girl was walking home when a stranger approached her.
According to the Miramar Police Department, the man grabbed the teenager and tried to take her away. She struggled to escape, screamed for help, and eventually broke free.
Police identified the suspect as 32-year-old Michael Polanco, who was arrested nearby after officers responded to another disturbance in the area.
Attack Caught on Camera
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Surveillance footage released by Miramar police shows Polanco approaching the teenager outside the gas station at 2840 S. State Road 7. He appears to wrap an arm around her neck and pull her away as she tries to get loose.
The girl managed to escape and run toward the gas station, where she found help. A witness called 911 after seeing what happened.
Miramar Police Chief Delrish Moss told reporters that the girl’s decision to fight back and attract attention helped her get away.
“It was very smart of this kid to fight and to break free and to draw attention to the situation and make sure help is available,” Moss said.
The surveillance footage, featured in a Local 10 News report, shows the encounter in broad daylight. The teenager’s identity is obscured in the video.
Police Find Suspect
After the encounter, Polanco fled west from the gas station, according to police. Officers searching the area subsequently received reports of another disturbance involving a man matching his description.
They located Polanco nearby and detained him. Both the teenager and a witness positively identified him as the man involved in the confrontation.
Police arrested Polanco and transported him to the Broward County Main Jail.
Moss said Polanco had an extensive criminal history, including previous offenses involving felony battery, burglary, narcotics, and indecent exposure. The chief said police had not established why Polanco approached the girl.
Held Without Bond
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest records, Polanco was booked on October 19 and faces a kidnapping charge involving inflicting bodily harm or terrorizing a victim, along with a battery charge involving bodily harm.
His jail record lists no bond on the kidnapping charge and a $10,000 bond on the battery charge.
Polanco also has a separate court-order entry related to a criminal mischief charge involving damage of at least $1,000. That entry is not identified as part of the gas station incident.
During a Broward County bond court appearance on October 20, a judge ordered Polanco held without bond.
The kidnapping and battery charges remain pending trial.
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