A brave 16-year-old unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks to fight off a creep from New York who tried to abduct her early Thursday morning in South Miami.
The teen was walking with her friends in a suburban neighborhood just after midnight when Brian Gamboa, 32, pulled up to her in his vehicle and tried to force her into his car, according to reports.
“A guy came out of the car, he approached me and started attacking me by my shoulders and the back of my head,” the teen told CBS News Miami. “I fought back – I threw my phone at him, I started kicking him, I started screaming, I started punching him.”
Gamboa allegedly tried to overpower the girl and pushed her to the ground, but she fought back.
“I dragged him down with me,” she added. “Then I kicked him in the crotch and the head and ran off. I screamed for help at a neighbor’s door.”
The teen, identified as a 16-year-old named Valerie, said that Gamboa appeared “drunk” and was “really wobbly,” according to WSVN.
The teen escaped and called the police immediately but Gamboa wasn’t spotted until a few hours later after he was involved in a hit-and-run crash outside of a South Miami restaurant.
Miami-Dade police arrested Gamboa Tuesday on charges of attempted kidnapping and battery of a child. Gamboa’s bond was set at $30,000 and was placed under house arrest.
Gamboa appeared in his mugshot with fresh scratches on his face and a major gash on his forehead after the teen’s fierce fight.
Police said that Gamboa, who was originally from New York but living in Miami, had prior offenses including possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license, CBS reported.
Gamboa had a warrant out for leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, police records show.
First-degree kidnapping in Florida carries a prison sentence of up to 30 years and a $10,000 fine.
“It was really scary. I’m OK, except the fact that my knee is messed up,” Valerie told WSNV. “Like, I’m OK. I got pretty lucky; like, it could have been way worse for me. I didn’t want to have a story like that. I didn’t want to have his impact on my life like that, so I was just fighting.”
