3 Boys, Ages 12 to 15, Charged as Adults in Connection with Alleged Rape of 12-Year-Old Girl at Miami Community Garden

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NEED TO KNOW

• Three boys in Miami are being charged as adults in connection with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl

• The incident occurred on June 18, 2025, in in The Green Haven Project community garden, and the boys (ages 12, 13 and 15) were charged as adults in February 2026

• One of the boys allegedly raped the girl, while the others held her down, and one also put rocks in her mouth, per police

Three boys are being charged as adults in connection with an alleged rape that transpired at a Miami community garden last year.

The alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl occurred on June 18, 2025, but is “coming to light now” because three boys who are allegedly involved — Jusiah Jones, 12, Nelson Nunez, 13, and Xavier Tyson, 15 — are “being charged as adults,” Miami Police Department (MPD) spokesperson Mike Vega told CBS News.

The girl said she was walking home from a friend’s place in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood when she saw four boys, including Jones and Nunez, NBC 6 South Florida and Miami outlet WPLG Local 10 reported, citing MPD records.

Nunez allegedly grabbed the girl and brought her to a couch in The Green Haven Project community garden, where she said Jones and Tyson (who was 14 at the time) “held her by the arms and legs preventing her from leaving” as Nunez started raping her, WPLG reported, citing police.

The girl yelled for the boys to stop and said “it hurts,” leading Jones to allegedly fill her mouth with rocks in an effort to silence her, per WPLG. As “she was screaming for help,” Vega said, “one of them grabs rocks from the ground and put them in her mouth, so she shuts up.”

The alleged rape continued for 30 minutes after this, according to WPLG.

It only stopped after Jones, Nunez and Tyson heard the victim’s father, who went looking for the 12-year-old, yelling her name, and they fled the scene, per WPLG, NBC 6 and CBS News. The three boys were arrested the following day.

There was a fourth boy on the scene who witnessed the alleged rape, and he later told police that he “did not intervene because he was outnumbered and was afraid of getting beat up,” per NBC 6 and WPLG. There was also another witness to the incident, who reported it to an MPD patrol officer.

The alleged incident happened outside of operational hours after “an opening caused by nearby construction activity created unintended access,” The Green Haven Project said in a statement obtained by WPLG.

“It’s heartbreaking, and I can only imagine the pain that a 12-year-old is gonna have for the rest of her life, knowing what occurred to her,” Vega said, per CBS News.

The MPD and The Green Haven Project did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Feb. 28.

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Nunez, Jones and Tyson were initially arrested on juvenile charges, per WPLG, but have since been charged as adults following a grand jury indictment issued on Wednesday, Feb. 25, according to WPLG.

Jones and Nunez were booked into the Metro West Detention Center on Thursday, Feb. 26, to face adult charges, NBC 6 reported, citing arrest reports. A judge ordered the two be held without bond until their next court date during an appearance in adult court on Friday, Feb. 27.

Jones is charged with aggravated battery and false imprisonment and Nunez is charged with sexual battery on a minor by a minor and kidnapping, per NBC 6. Meanwhile, Tyson is charged with sexual battery, false imprisonment and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, according to the outlet.

In a Feb. 27 statement obtained by NBC 6, The Green Haven Project condemned the incident.

“While the individuals involved are minors, we unequivocally condemn this behavior. Such conduct is completely contrary to the values of safety, respect, and community that our organization works diligently to uphold. We support the appropriate legal process and accountability in this matter,” the statement reads. “The GHP maintains perimeter security measures, including fencing and protective barriers, and we are fully cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigation.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

Read the original article on People