Two young boys, aged 12 and 13, have pleaded not guilty to the horrific rape of a 12-year-old girl in a community garden in Miami, Florida. The assault, which allegedly occurred on June 18 last year, involved rocks being stuffed into the victim's mouth to silence her screams during the prolonged attack.
Details of the Alleged Assault
According to a police report obtained by WPLG, Nelson Nunez, 13, allegedly grabbed the victim as she was leaving a friend's house and forced her onto a couch in the garden. As she screamed, Jusiah Jones, 12, is accused of putting rocks in her mouth to muffle her cries while Nunez undressed and raped her. Xavier Tyson, who was 14 at the time, allegedly helped Jones restrain the girl during the nearly 30-minute ordeal.
Court Proceedings and Defense Arguments
All three boys have been charged as adults with rape, kidnapping, and false imprisonment. At court appearances last week, a judge ordered Nunez and Jones held without bond. Their attorneys formally entered not guilty pleas on Monday, requested jury trials, and vowed to fight vigorously for their clients' release from jail.
Jones's father, Melvin, attended the hearing and called the allegations against his son "bogus," blaming the other two boys for the attack. "This is a 12-year-old boy we are talking about," he told WPLG. "We are going to leave him in jail and put a life charge on a young man that was with the wrong two kids?" Jones's mother echoed this sentiment outside the courtroom, shouting, "It's not true. He's only twelve."
Additional Charges and Witness Accounts
Tyson, now 15, also faces sexual battery charges, with his case reset and transferred to another judge. Witnesses told police that Tyson fondled the girl's breasts while helping to hold her down. Nunez reportedly asked the other boys, "You think I should put it in?" before raping the victim, who was heard yelling "no, no, stop, stop, it hurts" during the assault.
A fourth boy who witnessed the attack but hasn't been charged told police he didn't intervene because he was outnumbered and feared being beaten. The victim's mother expressed her anguish in an interview with WPLG, stating that no punishment would feel sufficient. "I don't care if they get 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years, 100 years, guess what, I'm gonna always feel like as a mother, as a woman, I'm gonna always feel like it's not enough," she said.
The next court date is set for March 18, when a judge will decide whether Nunez and Jones will continue to be prosecuted as adults. Both remain in custody until at least that time as their defense teams prepare for trial.
