Miami Detective Testifies on Alleged Sexual Assault of 12-Year-Old Girl as Defendants Seek Bond

A Miami detective testifies about the alleged 2025 assault of a 12-year-old girl in Overtown as two young defendants seek release from jail.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 19, 2026, 6:11 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from the Miami Herald.

Testimony from the Special Victims Unit

A Miami-Dade Circuit Court room became the site of graphic testimony on Thursday as a detective recounted the victim's description of a 30-minute ordeal. The detective testified that the 12-year-old girl was dragged into the Green Haven Project community garden by three boys she knew from her apartment complex. According to the victim's statement, the encounter began with joking before escalating into physical violence. The girl alleged she was thrown onto a couch where two of the boys pinned her arms while the third sexually assaulted her. The detective noted that the assault only ended when the boys heard the victim’s father calling for her in the distance.

Allegations of Coercion and Physical Restraint

One of the most harrowing details of the testimony involved the methods used to silence the victim. The detective stated that 12-year-old Jusiah Jones allegedly stuffed small brown rocks from the ground into the girl’s mouth to stifle her screams. Under cross-examination, the detective acknowledged a later statement from the victim suggesting that the older boys, 13-year-old Nelson Nunez and 15-year-old Xavier Tyson, may have forced Jones to do so by threatening to punch him. A fourth boy present at the scene, who has not been charged, reportedly told investigators he did not intervene because he was "afraid of getting beat up."

The Arthur Hearing and Bond Arguments

The proceedings, presided over by Judge Richard Hersch, are part of an "Arthur hearing," a legal process in Florida that determines if defendants charged with non-bondable capital offenses should be granted bail. Prosecutors are firmly opposing the release of Nunez and Jones, citing the violent nature of the charges, which include sexual battery, kidnapping, and false imprisonment. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty. The defense team, however, is highlighting the young age of the suspects and their lack of prior criminal history as grounds for supervised release.