Nationwide — Three boys, 13-year-old Nelson Nuñez, 12-year-old Jusiah Jones, and 15-year-old Xavier Tyson, are facing adult charges for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl in Miami, stuffing rocks in her mouth to stop her from screaming. They now face serious charges as adults.
According to the New York Post, the incident occurred on June 18 in a community garden near where the teens live. Police say Nuñez tore off the girl’s pants and raped her while Jones and Tyson held her down for about 30 minutes.
During the assault, one of the boys reportedly shoved rocks into the girl’s mouth to silence her. The three of them ran when the girl’s father began calling her name, allowing her to finally scream out for help.
Authorities say another boy witnessed the crime but was not charged. The case only became public after the teens were formally charged as adults last week.
Nuñez and Jones appeared in court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including aggravated sexual battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. Tyson faces similar charges, including sexual battery and lewd conduct with a child, though details of his hearing are unclear.
The victim’s mother called for the harshest possible punishment for the teens. “I don’t care if they get 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years, 100 years, I’m gonna always feel like it’s not enough,” she said.