Police say a 12-year-old girl was attacked at an Overtown community garden in 2025.
MIAMI, Florida — Two boys, ages 12 and 13, were ordered held without bond Friday after Miami police said they took a 12-year-old girl to a community garden in Overtown and one of them sexually assaulted her during an attack that investigators say lasted about 30 minutes.
The decision to move the case into adult court puts a spotlight on how Florida handles the most serious crimes involving juveniles. Police and prosecutors say a grand jury indictment led to the younger boys being charged as adults months after their initial arrests. Court records show the pair was booked into the Metro West detention center Thursday, then appeared in adult bond court Friday as the case moved forward.
The alleged assault happened around 10 p.m. June 18, 2025, at the Green Haven Project community garden in Overtown, police said. The garden is at 1160 NW Second Ave., near Frederick Douglass Elementary School. Investigators said the girl had been leaving a friend’s house in the neighborhood when she encountered a group of boys in a nearby parking lot area. According to an arrest report, the 13-year-old grabbed her and led her to a couch inside the garden as others followed. Police said the girl told detectives two boys held her arms and legs to keep her from leaving as the assault began.
Miami police identified the two boys charged as adults as Jusiah Jones, 12, and Nelson Nunez, 13. Investigators said Jones pushed rocks into the girl’s mouth so she could not scream while the assault continued. Police said the girl told them she yelled for the boys to stop. A nearby resident told investigators she heard screaming and later saw the girl in the moments after the attack. The woman told police she heard the girl yelling words to the effect of “Stop” and “No,” then went to check outside but did not immediately see who was involved.
Police said the attack ended when the boys heard the girl’s father calling her name. Investigators wrote that the suspects and others ran away from the sound of his voice, leaving the girl behind. A witness later flagged down a Miami police patrol officer to report the assault, according to the arrest report. Detectives interviewed the children involved and reviewed statements as they built the case, police said. The witness told detectives he did not intervene because he said he was outnumbered and feared being beaten, according to the report.
The case includes allegations against additional juveniles who were with the group that night. Miami police said a 15-year-old boy is accused of participating and was initially handled in juvenile court. NBC6 reported court records showed an arraignment hearing in adult court for a 15-year-old, Xavier Tyson, was scheduled for Friday. Local 10 reported one boy witnessed the incident and did not participate. Authorities have described the group as including the two younger boys, the 15-year-old and another boy who witnessed what happened.
Prosecutors used a grand jury process to bring felony charges that shifted two defendants into adult court, according to Local 10. That step, often used in high-profile cases, sets the stage for adult court hearings that can move faster than juvenile proceedings and can carry longer potential sentences if there is a conviction. The change in court also affects custody. Court records show the two younger boys were booked into the Metro West detention center Thursday and appeared in adult bond court Friday.
In adult bond court Friday, a judge ordered Jones and Nunez held without bond until their next appearance. Miami-Dade court records listed the charges as sexual battery causing serious injury and false imprisonment for both boys. Nunez also faced a kidnapping charge, according to Local 10. NBC6 listed charges in arrest reports as aggravated battery and false imprisonment for Jones, and sexual battery on a minor by a minor and kidnapping for Nunez. The differences reflect how charges can be described in arrest paperwork, booking documents and later filings, while prosecutors finalize allegations for court.
Investigators said an important piece of information came from a phone call recounted by a resident who reported hearing about the incident. According to Local 10, the woman asked her son to call the boy who witnessed the incident after she heard a commotion and saw the girl afterward. Police said the woman partially recorded the call and described it to investigators. In the report, the witness discussed what he said happened at the garden and disputed what the witness believed the witness’s mother had seen. Police wrote that the call helped detectives gather details and identify actions by different boys that night.
Authorities have not released the girl’s name because she is a child and a victim in a sexual assault case. Police and news outlets have also limited identification of juveniles involved unless they are charged as adults. That approach reflects common practice in Florida courts, where minors can be shielded from public identification in many juvenile cases, but can be named once they are transferred to adult court and appear in adult proceedings.
The location described in police reports, a community garden in Overtown, is surrounded by homes, small businesses and schools. Overtown sits just northwest of downtown Miami and has long been shaped by redevelopment and major road projects that divided neighborhoods. Community groups have worked for years to improve safety and create programs for children in the area. The arrest reports and court hearings highlight concerns about violence involving young suspects and young victims, and how quickly a neighborhood incident can become a high-stakes adult prosecution.
Police did not say Friday whether any physical evidence, surveillance video or forensic testing supported the girl’s account, and they did not release details about medical exams or interviews. Investigators also did not publicly describe whether the defendants had attorneys at the bond hearing, or how the defense may respond to the allegations. Those questions are likely to be addressed in future hearings as prosecutors file formal charging documents and defense lawyers review evidence, interview witnesses and raise legal challenges.
In Florida, prosecutors can seek to charge juveniles as adults in certain serious felony cases, a move that can change both the courtroom and the consequences. The transfer is often debated by lawmakers and advocates, with supporters arguing it is needed for public safety in extreme cases and critics warning it can expose children to harsher detention settings and long-term harm. The Overtown case, involving suspects as young as 12, is likely to draw attention as it proceeds through adult court and as judges consider future hearings, possible plea negotiations and trial dates.
For now, the two boys charged as adults remain in custody without bond. Their next court appearance had not been announced publicly in the reports reviewed Friday, and prosecutors have not said whether additional adult charges may be filed against other juveniles in the case. The investigation remains active as the court process continues.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.