Suspects held in jail without bond after allegedly sexually assaulting woman at hotel

State considering whether to charge Adan Valdes, 17, as adult

MIAMI – A group of friends accused in the sexual battery of an incapacitated woman have been ordered to be held in jail without bond.

A 17-year-old boy among three others accused in the case appeared in court Thursday, where he was ordered to remain at the Juvenile Assessment Center until his next court hearing.

Adan Valdes appeared at the hearing with his parents and was told that the state is considering charging him as an adult.

A Miami-Dade County judge ordered that he remain at the juvenile jail until his next court hearing, which is scheduled for June 1.

The others arrested are Adrian Machin, Luis Rosello and Julio Fernandez, all 19. Machin appeared in court Wednesday and was ordered to be held in jail without bond.

Rosello and Fernandez appeared in court Thursday. Fernandez's mother passed out in the courtroom when she heard that her son would not be leaving the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Local 10 News reporter Andrew Perez spoke to Fernandez's mother Wednesday, who claimed that her son and his friends aren't "real criminals."

"Go look for real criminals, the ones that are killing people every day and can't be found," she said. "These are a couple of kids that violated her. She was drunk."

Miami-Dade police said the incident was reported May 1 at the Bal Harbour Quarzo luxury boutique hotel. 

Machin, Rosello and Valdes are current students at G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School in Miami-Dade County, according to their arrest reports. Students at the school said the incident happened at a hotel party after their prom and that video of the attack was passed around to students.

Detectives said Valdes was the first person to sexually assault the woman with the handle of an umbrella while Machin and Fernandez recorded the attack with their cellphones. Police said Rosello was also in the room and watched the woman being assaulted.

According to the report, Rosello and Machin then sexually assaulted the woman with a marijuana cigarette.

Detectives said Machin and Fernandez confessed to their roles in the incident. Fernandez told detectives that he had no remorse for the victim, the report said.

The suspects each face charges of sexual battery on a physically incapacitated person and sexual battery by multiple perpetrators.


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.