Lost Miami Tourist Held Up At Suspect's Home
MIAMI – (CBSMiami.com) – A woman in need of directions to the Greyhound bus station was at first grateful to the man who offered to help her.
But police say the man had sinister motives.
Teneus Jean-Baptiste, 22, of Miami, told her to walk with him to 155 Northwest 59th Street on Thursday afternoon. Instead of guiding the lost tourist to the Greyhound station, he took the woman to his house saying he needed to use the bathroom. Jean-Baptiste invited the woman to his apartment. She walked to the doorway and that's when he slammed the door and allegedly told her, "Sit down. Last time I did this, I broke an [expletive's] jaw, so don't move."
That's when he took her luggage and purse and placed them in a room. He ordered the woman to stay in the chair and not to move, threatening to beat her if she did.
After about an hour, he ordered the woman to leave with him and not to runaway. When she asked about her purse and luggage, Jean-Baptiste allegedly told her "it's staying with me."
The woman who was not identified in the police report then followed his instruction to board a Jitney bus and they traveled together to 79th Street and Northeast 1st Avenue . Jean-Baptiste
As they walked, the woman pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and called police. When police arrived, the woman pointed at the suspect who was "trying to walk away," according to the police report.
Police were able to locate the woman's belongings at Jean-Baptiste's apartment that he apparently shared with his girlfriend.
The girlfriend expressed bewilderment about the suitcase and purse in her apartment and told police, "Why is there a woman's purse and suitcase here?"
She had placed them outside and that's where police found them.
Jean-Baptiste appeared before a bond court judge Friday morning facing charges of occupied burglary with assault and false imprisonment.
