Rally, solidarity skate on Miami Beach after a rollerblader was sexually assaulted
MIAMI BEACH - More than a week after a woman was sexually assaulted while rollerblading on Miami Beach's Beachwalk, the city's skate community came together on Saturday to take back the Boardwalk.
A "Take Back the Boardwalk" solidarity skate and rally was held on the Beachwalk at 24th Street.
People who frequent this area say the community needs to come together.
As they wrote messages in chalk at the scene of the crime, skaters said they wanted solutions to make sure that this never happens again.
"That could've been me. That could've been one of my friends. So what can we do to do better? To take care of ourselves better and take care of each other better," said skater Shari Kline.
"For Miami Beach to have such an athletic community for us to come out together, not even to show support for this one incident but for all incidents collectively and for us to stoke this message that most important," said Vik Pagan.
The woman was rollerblading on the Beachwalk on Tuesday, July 16, around 1 a.m. when a man came up from behind her near 23rd Street, grabbed her, knocked her to the ground and dragged her into the dunes before sexually battering her. Surveillance images released by police show the man wearing a white outfit when the attack happened, with distinctive arm tattoos.
Days later the suspect, who police identified as 30-year-old Keithy Hill Jr., was taken into custody by Hollywood police. Records show he was convicted in Illinois of sex abuse on a minor and was on the sex offender registration list in that state.
After the attack, police urged those going out at night to avoid being alone or to let someone know in advance their whereabouts, and to always be aware of their surroundings.