Mother says search for suspected pedophile 'must be taken seriously'

Video shows voyeur targeting children in Miami Gardens home, police say

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. ā€“ A mother said on FridayĀ her 12-year-old daughter was taking a bath when a suspected pedophileĀ jumped a fence, pulled out his phone and appeared to captureĀ images of the girlĀ through the window.Ā 

The distraught mother provided surveillance video to Miami Gardens Police Department detectives showing the voyeur targeting her children during two occasions.Ā Crime scene technicians dusted her fence for prints and collected evidence.Ā 

"It was very disturbing to see the video footage of a person, an unknown person, first of all on my property, but second peering through windows, and then you know watching a 12 year old while she is taking a bath," the mother said.Ā 

Detectives were walking around the neighborhood distributing "Need to Identify" flyers with an image from the surveillance video. The family's home is Norwood Elementary School, Norland Elementary School, Miami Norland Senior High School and the YWCA.Ā 

"This is terrible, mam.Ā This is really terrible," Neighbor Casper Mannix said after watching the surveillance video. "You can't go around peeking on people's windows like that."Ā 

The mother said she believes her children never noticed the persistent voyeur, but she said that for their own security they are aware of him now.Ā 

"They are a little shaken up, but we have reassured them that they are safe," the mother said. "He needs to be caught. This must be taken seriously."

Officers said there was a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the Peeping tom. Detectives were asking anyone with information to call the Miami Gardens Police Department at 305-474-1510 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.


About the Authors:

Janine Stanwood joined Local 10 News in February 2004 as an assignment editor. She is now a general assignment reporter. Before moving to South Florida from her Washington home, Janine was the senior legislative correspondent for a United States senator on Capitol Hill.

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.