Police arrested a 32-year-old man after the 13-year-old girl broke free and ran for help at a South Florida gas station.
MIRAMAR, FL — Surveillance video captured a 13-year-old girl breaking free from a man who police say grabbed her outside a Miramar gas station and tried to take her away, leading officers to arrest a 32-year-old suspect nearby.
Miramar police identified the man as Michael Polanco of Davie. Police said the encounter happened Monday, Oct. 19, as the girl was walking home near South State Road 7. Video released after the arrest shows the man approaching the teenager and putting an arm around her before she resisted and escaped.
Miramar Police Chief Delrish Moss said the man placed the girl in a headlock and that she began screaming before breaking free. The teenager then ran into a nearby business where she could get help. A witness also intervened during the encounter and called 911, according to local reports citing police.
Surveillance footage shows the girl moving away from the man after he grabbed her. A witness who works near the scene told NBC 6 South Florida that the teenager appeared frightened before she escaped. Police did not publicly identify the girl because she is a minor.
Police said Polanco left the area after the encounter. While officers were responding to the reported kidnapping attempt, they received information about another disturbance nearby involving a man who matched the description of the suspect. Officers went to that area and detained Polanco while they investigated.
Authorities said both the teenager and a witness identified Polanco as the man involved. He was arrested and taken to the Broward County Main Jail. Police said he faces charges of kidnapping involving bodily harm or terrorizing a victim and battery causing bodily harm. The charges are allegations, and the case has not been resolved in court.
A judge denied Polanco bond during a court appearance Tuesday, according to multiple local news reports. No plea or defense response was available in the reports reviewed. Police have not announced a suspected motive for the alleged attack.
Published accounts contain a discrepancy about the precise location and timing of the encounter. Information attributed directly to Miramar police by NBC 6 and CBS Miami placed the incident at about 5:34 p.m. Monday at a Shell gas station at 2840 South State Road 7. An earlier WSVN report citing an arrest report listed Sunday evening and the nearby Miramar Quick Lube at 2750 South State Road 7. Authorities had not publicly explained the difference as of Thursday.
The newly released surveillance footage brought additional attention to the case Wednesday. Police said the girl’s resistance, the witness’s intervention and the quick call for help contributed to her escape and the suspect’s arrest. Polanco remained in custody without bond as the criminal case moved forward.
Author note: Last updated October 22, 2026.