Police say the reported attack happened in June 2025 in Overtown near a community garden.
MIAMI, FL — Three boys ages 12, 13 and 15 have been charged as adults after Miami police said they took a 12-year-old girl to a community garden in the Overtown neighborhood last year and sexually assaulted her. Two of the boys appeared in adult court Friday and were ordered held without bond.
The case has drawn attention because of the suspects’ ages and the decision to pursue adult charges. Police said the alleged assault happened June 18, 2025, and the boys were arrested the next day on juvenile charges. Miami-Dade prosecutors later sought indictments, and court records show the case moved to the adult system this week, setting up new hearings and possible trial dates.
According to arrest reports, the girl was walking in Overtown after leaving a friend’s home when she encountered the three suspects and another boy who police described as a witness. Investigators said the group moved her to The Green Haven Project, a community garden at 1160 NW 2nd Ave., near Frederick Douglass Elementary School. Police said one boy carried out the sexual assault while the other two helped restrain the girl. A woman nearby told investigators she heard screaming and later saw the girl in distress. Miami Police spokesman Mike Vega described the case as “heartbreaking,” saying investigators believe the girl’s father calling her name interrupted the incident and the boys ran away.
Police said the suspects were identified quickly after the incident and taken into custody on June 19, 2025. Court records and statements from authorities indicate the case then proceeded through months of review before prosecutors took it to a grand jury. Miami police said a grand jury indictment was issued Wednesday, moving the case into adult court and triggering new jail bookings and bond hearings. On Thursday, records showed the 12-year-old, Jusiah Jones, and the 13-year-old, Nelson Nunez, were booked at the Metro West Detention Center to face adult charges. Both appeared in adult bond court Friday, and a judge ordered them held without bond.
Authorities said the third suspect, Xavier Tyson, was 14 at the time of the reported assault and is now 15. Prosecutors confirmed Friday that Tyson was indicted on adult charges as well. Public records reviewed by local media showed an adult-court arraignment hearing scheduled for Tyson, though the timing and custody status were described differently in separate accounts as the case developed. Miami police and prosecutors have not released the victim’s name, and the child and her family were not identified in court filings summarized by local outlets.
Charging documents and police summaries list a range of counts stemming from the alleged assault and how investigators say it unfolded. Prosecutors said all three boys face a false imprisonment count related to preventing the girl from leaving. Nunez is charged with sexual battery and kidnapping, according to court records and police statements. Jones is charged with aggravated battery and false imprisonment. Tyson is charged with sexual battery, false imprisonment, and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, according to the same records. Police have not said whether any of the boys have attorneys yet, and no plea was entered during the brief bond appearances described in reports Friday.
Investigators also described a fourth boy as a witness to what happened. In police summaries, detectives said the witness told them he did not intervene because he felt outnumbered and was afraid of being attacked. Officers said the witness later provided information consistent with the girl’s account. A woman told investigators she partially recorded a phone call in which the witness discussed what happened, and she provided that recording to police, according to police reports described in local coverage.
The location at the center of the case is a fenced community garden that operates in Overtown, a historic neighborhood just northwest of downtown Miami. The Green Haven Project said the reported assault was “unforeseen and unacceptable” and said it stands with the victim and her family. In a longer statement carried in local reports, the group said it was “deeply saddened and disturbed” and said it condemns the behavior alleged in the case. The organization said it maintains perimeter security measures, including fencing and barriers, and said it is cooperating with law enforcement.
Overtown has long been a focus of Miami’s redevelopment and public-safety efforts, with parks, schools, and nonprofit sites located near busy corridors. The garden sits near homes and a school, and the alleged assault has raised questions among residents about supervision and access to community spaces after school hours. Authorities have not said whether the garden was open to the public at the time, whether locks or gates were breached, or whether any surveillance footage exists. Police have not publicly described forensic evidence, saying only that detectives interviewed those involved and advanced the case for prosecution.
The move to adult court changes the legal path and the potential penalties the boys could face if convicted. Prosecutors have not detailed why adult charges were pursued, but the timing indicates the case was presented to a grand jury before the indictments were issued. In Florida, some serious felony cases involving minors can be transferred to adult court through direct filing or grand jury indictment, depending on the charge and circumstances. Authorities have not disclosed whether any plea discussions have occurred or whether the defense plans to challenge the transfer to adult court.
The next milestones are expected to come quickly. Court records and police statements indicate Jones and Nunez were ordered held without bond until their next court date, and a hearing for them was expected early next week. CBS Miami reported they were expected to face a judge on Monday. Tyson’s arraignment was listed on adult-court calendars in local reporting, but officials had not publicly confirmed the schedule beyond saying he is charged as an adult. Miami-Dade prosecutors have not announced a trial date, and it is not clear whether the three cases will proceed together or be handled separately.
As the court process moves forward, authorities have emphasized the victim’s age and the lasting harm they believe the assault caused. Vega, the police spokesman, said investigators were still focused on the girl’s well-being as the case advanced in court. The Green Haven Project said the alleged conduct “is completely contrary to the values of safety, respect, and community” that it works to uphold. No community meetings or additional security measures were announced publicly Friday, and city officials did not release separate statements beyond the police account.
The case stood Friday with two of the boys jailed without bond and the third facing adult charges as prosecutors prepare for arraignments and early hearings. The next court appearances were expected during the week of March 2, when judges will formally review charges and set the schedule for the next steps.
Author note: Last updated February 28, 2026.