Man accused of sexual assault in downtown Miami luxury condo while on probation for similar case
MIAMI - A Miami man is accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in her luxury apartment in downtown Miami after he was released from prison in May for a similar offense.
Diontae Blackman, 26, on Tuesday was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. On Wednesday, Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer ordered him held without bond.
He is facing three charges: burglary with assault or battery, armed sexual battery and kidnapping with a weapon, firearm or aggravated battery.
Blackman was on probation for an attempted sexual battery case three years ago. He was accused of following a woman into her Brickell condo building and attempting to sexually batter her on May 18, 2021.
Blackman was sentenced in April to 22 months in prison on a burglary assault charge, along with five years of probation. Blackman was credited with 720 days served and released on May 14. Prosecutors dropped sexual battery and kidnapping charges after pleading guilty.
The second alleged offense is similar.
Police believe there could be more victims. They are urged are urged to call Crime Stoppers of Miami-Dade at 305-471-TIPS.
The details of the attack in downtown Miami
At 9 a.m. on Aug. 27, a detective obtained a sworn audio statement from the 20-year-old alleged victim, who said she was sexually assaulted by an unknown Black man wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts who entered her apartment uninvited at the Downtown 5th apartment building at 55 NE Fifth St. in downtown Miami.
She said that her roommate had left the apartment five minutes earlier.
The victim said she was sitting in her balcony when she saw the man standing in the kitchen. Police said she questioned him what he was doing there, "at which time he pointed to the hallway and mentioned the word room while holding the top of a broken glass bottle in his right hand."
The victim doesn't speak English well and not able to communicate with him.
"The victim stated that the defendant took his right hand and ran his thumb from left to-right across his neck area with the top of the broken glass bottle in hand," according to the arrest report. "The victim stated that she believed this gesture implied that her life was in danger and therefore she complied."
Police said they went in her bedroom and forced her to perform oral sex, then sexually assaulted her.
The victim said after the man left the apartment, she called her roommate.
She and her boyfriend were walking to the apartment when they saw a man who matched the description.
Her roommate and her boyfriend attempted to apprehend him but she was pushed to the wall and fell to the ground and ran from the scene, police said. She attempted to chase him but lost sight of him, according to the arrest report.
Upon viewing surveillance video from the lobby, a man matching the description was observed.
A rape kit was performed on the victim where she was treated at the Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center. DNA results obtained on Nov. 26 matched Blackman.
The woman couldn't identify him in a lineup the next day.
On Tuesday, they took him into custody at his apartment at 10946 NW 14th Ave. At a special victims unit, he invoked his right to remain silent.
"You can walk in this building and go to any floor you want," Travis Brown who lives in the building told CBS News Miami.
"Definitely, I think we should up security for the rent that we're paying," one woman said.
The 2021 Brickell Flatiron case
In the case in 2021, police said Blackman got past the front desk of the Brickell Flatiron building and followed a resident into the elevator.
Once on the tenant's floor, police said he forced his way into her unit and then demanded she perform a sex act.
He's accused of pulling out a metal pipe and striking the victim, and slapping her several times. The victim managed to escape and screamed for help.
Blackman was captured on surveillance cameras in the elevator and leaving the building.
After widespread circulation of the elevator images, a tip brought police to Blackman's doorstep, 48 hours later.
"He made a confession. It shows the community to reach out, no matter how small you think the tip may be," Miami police officer Kiara Delva told CBS Miami at the time.
