Police say the attack happened at an Overtown garden in June 2025.
MIAMI, Florida — A Miami case accusing boys as young as 12 of attacking a 12-year-old girl at an Overtown community garden moved deeper into adult court Friday as a judge ordered two defendants held without bond and new details emerged about how investigators learned what was happening that night.
Miami police say the alleged assault took place June 18, 2025, and that a grand jury indictment later led to adult charges against two of the children involved. The court shift is significant because it places the youngest defendants in the adult system, where hearings are public and potential penalties are more severe. The case also highlights how witnesses and neighbors can shape early investigations, including one report that police said included a partial recording of a phone call describing what happened.
Police said the girl was walking away from a friend’s home in Overtown when she came across a group of boys gathered in a parking lot area. In arrest paperwork summarized by Local 10 and NBC6, investigators said a 13-year-old, Nelson Nunez, grabbed her and took her toward the Green Haven Project, a community garden at 1160 NW Second Ave. in the Overtown neighborhood. The girl told investigators she was screaming as she was taken to a couch inside the garden while other boys followed, the reports said. Miami police said the assault continued until the suspects heard the girl’s father calling her name and ran away.
Investigators said the children’s accounts were supported by a witness who later spoke to detectives and to someone in the neighborhood. The witness told detectives he did not step in because he said he was outnumbered and feared being beaten up, according to the reports. Police said the witness eventually flagged down a Miami police officer to report the assault. The arrest paperwork described detectives interviewing those involved after the report was made and documenting what different boys allegedly did during the incident.
A resident who lived nearby told police she heard a commotion and the sound of a child screaming. According to the police account reported by Local 10, the woman went outside while checking her mail after hearing cries that included words like “Stop” and “No.” She told investigators she asked who was screaming but did not get an answer. The woman also reported hearing the girl’s father yelling his daughter’s name, a detail police said lined up with the victim’s account that the attack stopped when the father’s voice was heard.
The resident’s report did not end there. Police said the woman asked her son to call the boy who witnessed what happened, and that she partially recorded the phone call. In the report cited by Local 10, the boy discussed what he said happened in the garden and tried to explain events while disputing what he believed his mother had seen. Police said investigators reviewed what the woman described and used the information as they built the case and identified alleged actions by multiple juveniles.
Two of the boys, Jusiah Jones, 12, and Nunez, 13, were initially arrested on juvenile charges the day after the alleged assault, police said. Local 10 reported that a grand jury indictment issued Wednesday led to the pair being charged as adults. Court records showed they were booked into the Metro West detention center Thursday. On Friday, they appeared in adult bond court, where a judge ordered them held without bond, according to Local 10 and NBC6.
Court filings and arrest paperwork described overlapping charges that reflect the serious allegations. Miami-Dade court records cited by Local 10 listed sexual battery causing serious injury and false imprisonment for both boys, with Nunez also facing a kidnapping charge. NBC6 reported arrest documents listed aggravated battery and false imprisonment for Jones, and sexual battery on a minor by a minor and kidnapping for Nunez. The details underscore how charging language can vary as cases move from arrest reports to formal filings and as prosecutors refine allegations for court.
The case also includes allegations involving a 15-year-old boy. Local 10 reported a 15-year-old faced juvenile charges, while NBC6 reported court records showed a 15-year-old, Xavier Tyson, had an arraignment hearing in adult court scheduled for Friday. NBC6 listed charges for the 15-year-old as including sexual battery, false imprisonment and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child. Police also said a fourth boy witnessed the incident. Officials and news outlets generally avoid naming juveniles unless they are charged as adults, and authorities have not identified the victim because she is a minor and a sexual assault victim.
The setting described in the reports, the Green Haven Project community garden, sits near homes and schools in Overtown. Community gardens in the area have been used for programs, food access and neighborhood events, according to public reports about local outreach. The idea of a garden as both a community resource and the location of an alleged assault has been jarring for residents who see such spaces as places meant for safety and support. Police have not publicly detailed whether the garden had lighting, fencing, cameras or staff present at the time of the alleged incident.
Investigators have also not released information about physical evidence, forensic testing or medical findings. Police did not say whether the defendants made statements in interviews beyond what was described in the reports, or whether any of the juveniles have attorneys who plan to challenge witness credibility, the phone recording, or the interpretation of what the neighbor heard. Those issues often become central as defense lawyers review reports, seek discovery from prosecutors and decide whether to file motions challenging evidence.
The decision to charge two children as adults is likely to keep the case in the public eye. In Florida, prosecutors can move juveniles into adult court through several legal paths, including direct filing in some cases and grand jury indictments in others. Supporters of adult prosecution in extreme cases argue it allows judges to impose stricter controls and longer sentences when warranted. Critics argue that sending children into the adult system can increase trauma and risk, and that rehabilitation options can be limited once a case is transferred. The ages in this case, 12 and 13, place the debate in sharper focus.
For the neighborhood, the court hearings add a new phase after months of investigation. The adult court calendar can bring more frequent hearings, public records, and pressure to resolve the case through plea talks or trial preparation. Prosecutors are expected to outline the evidence they intend to rely on, while defense attorneys can seek to test witness accounts, timelines and the reliability of statements made by minors under stress. Judges will also consider custody status, future court dates and any requests for separate proceedings for the different defendants.
As of Friday, Jones and Nunez remained in custody without bond. The next court dates were not listed in the reports reviewed, and it was not clear whether any additional charging decisions were pending for other juveniles. The case remains active as it moves through Miami-Dade’s adult court system.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.