Woman honored for stopping sexual assault of 11-year-old girl at Gwen Cherry Park
During an award presentation on Thursday, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said Cheryl Donaldson was in the right place at the right time and her quick thinking led to an arrest.
Donaldson was at the park when she needed to use the bathroom, but found the door locked. She said when she pried open the door, she saw the girl being assaulted and screamed for help, alerting others in the park. When the suspect, 18-year-old Antwan Johnson, ran out of the bathroom, Donaldson went after him.
Donaldson said she only had one thought in mind.
"I got to get him. That's pretty much it. I need to make sure that she is safe," she said.
Several parkgoers caught up to Johnson and held him until the police arrived.
Donaldson, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said her military training kicked into action when she saw the assault.
"I was where I was supposed to be, the actions came. I don't know how to explain it," she said. "I feel like a parent protecting a child."
During the presentation, Cordero-Stutz praised Donaldson's actions.
"Thank you for stepping up. Thank you for speaking up. Thank you for taking action. We do it as our job, but as a community we're just grateful for human beings like you."
Johnson is charged with sexual battery on a minor, kidnapping and false imprisonment of a child. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Report: NFL initially proposed double-digit Rashee Rice suspension, open to a settlement
This season is up in the air for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice, who is awaiting punishment for his involvement in a multi-car crash in Dallas last year. But earlier in the process, the NFL initially proposed an lengthy punishment, suggesting that Rice be suspended for double-digit games, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. In July, Rice pled guilty to two felony charges related to the crash, and was sentenced to five years probation and 30 days in jail. The sentencing gave the NFL the opening to hand down an additional punishment, with a multi-game suspension expected. Per Pelissero, Rice's representation — including the NFLPA, his agents and his attorney — argued against the NFL's proposal, asking for a much shorter suspension that better reflects the precedent for a case like this. A hearing to determine Rice's suspension has been set for Sept. 30, likely making the receiver available for the start of the season. But Pelissero also reported that it was still possible for a settlement to be reached before the start of the season. If a settlement is reached, Rice may be able to sit out at the start of the season, rather than let the hearing stretch on into appeals and threaten the receiver's long-term availability. A double-digit suspension would be an unexpectedly harsh punishment for Rice in terms of this incident, keeping him off the field for more than half of the 2025 season. To put things in perspective, former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was suspended for the first 10 weeks of the 2025 season for a pattern of sexual misconduct with massage therapists in the Baltimore area; in 2022, Deshaun Watson was suspended 11 games for a similar conduct policy violation. Rice's plea deal with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office gave him deferred probation, meaning that his case will be dismissed if he successfully completes his five years of probation. Rice can reportedly serve the 30 days of jail time at any point during his probation. Rice was also required to pay the medical expenses of the victims, totaling $115,481.91, as part of the deal. In addition to his sentence, Rice was sued for $1 million by the two people who were injured in the crash; that lawsuit was settled the day before he received his sentence. Despite the uncertainty, Rice has not been limited in training camp with the Chiefs, and has been playing in the team's typical rotation. "We're going to progress as normal with him," Kansas City head coach Andy Reid told reporters in July. "He'll go in and take all the reps that he'd normally take. We always rotate that position. So depending on what happens here in the future, whoever needs to play will be able step in, and they'll know what they are doing and be in good shape to do it." If Rice and the NFL do not reach a settlement before his Sept. 30 hearing, Rice will be available for the first four games of the season, including the Chiefs' opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 5 and the home opener (and Super Bowl rematch) against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 14.
CBS News
42 minutes ago
- CBS News
Man shot, killed at SEPTA train station in North Philadelphia, officials say
A man died after being shot at a SEPTA train station in North Philadelphia on Friday, SEPTA said. SEPTA confirmed to CBS News Philadelphia that the shooting happened at the Broad-Girard Station after 7:30 p.m. One person was taken into custody. The man who was shot was rushed to the hospital and shortly pronounced dead, according to SEPTA. This is a developing story. Stay with CBS News Philadelphia for updates.
CBS News
43 minutes ago
- CBS News
Santa Ana man arrested for allegedly taking upskirt videos of women
Irvine police arrested a 23-year-old man after Walmart security guards caught him allegedly recording a video up a woman's skirt. Investigators found hundreds of clips of different victims, dating back at least two years, in suspect Damian Bravo's phone after they arrested him last week, according to the Irvine Police Department. He has been booked on suspicion of invasion of privacy. He has been released after posting bail. Officers are hoping to identify and locate additional victims. "He's favored Walmart and Target," Officer Kyle Oldoerp said. Our concern is there are other victims who are unaware that this has occurred." The latest video was allegedly taken last week at the Walmart on Von Karman Avenue, according to police. "In these cases, we see they're being used for personal gratification in some cases," Oldoerp said. "They're trading them or posting them online or hosting websites—some of these hidden camera type videos. I'm not certain how he was using the videos but that's who we've seen them used in the past. Police have identified one victim so far. "It's absolutely troubling to us because there's a significant amount of victims on this man's phone," Oldoerp said. "We want to talk to those people. If anybody recognizes this guy or thinks they've been a victim of him, we want them to come forward and talk to detectives so we can add them to our case."
