Miami Judge Frees 12-Year-Old, Keeps Alleged 'Ringleader' Behind Bars in Teen Assault Case

One of the boys accused in the r--- of a 12-year-old girl in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood has been granted house arrest ahead of his trial.

Jusiah Jones, 12, allegedly forced rocks in the victim’s mouth to keep her from screaming during the brutal assault that took place in 2025. However, another suspect, 13-year-old Nelson Nunez will remain behind bars, according to the latest ruling on March 23.

A third boy, 15-year-old Xavier Tyson, accused of helping to restrain the victim, is scheduled to appear in court soon. He was 14 at the time of the alleged crime.

According to Local 10 News, all the boys are being charged as adults. “The horrific nature of this assault is not diminished by the age of these defendants. They are both facing up to life in prison for their participation in this attack on a 12-year-old girl,” Miami-Dade Judge Richard Hersch said, per NBC Miami.

The alleged assault took place on June 18, 2025 at The Green Haven Project community garden at 1160 NW Second Ave.

Judge Richard Hersch ruled that Nunez, the alleged “ringleader” of the gang r---, will stay in prison. On the other hand, Jones will remain under total lockdown house arrest after his release. The judge ordered him to stay off social media and keep his distance from the victim. He will attend school online.

Jones’ lawyer, Jean-Michel D’Escoubet, argued in court that the victim said his client was remorseful and joined the two other boys under “duress.”

“My client received a substantially different outcome because he was in a substantially different position,” D’Escoubet said. “The position he was in was that he was forced to do the things that he did by the other two children as a threat of force and those were the words of the young victim herself.”

Nunez’s attorney, Bijan Sebastian Parwaresch, said his client is not “going to stay in custody forever.” He added, “It just means, for now, as we are defending the case and resolving the case, he will remain in custody.”

Prosecutors were seeking to keep Jones and Nunez behind bars as they await trial.

Several people argued against the release of Jones on social media. “It’s super clear this individual is not safe to release into the public. This ruling astounds me,” one user wrote on Instagram.

“No! Whose daughter should this monster sit next to at school? Absolutely not,” added another.

“As someone who works with BH minors, he clearly has deep rooted issues and probably other mental problems that haven’t come out yet. He needs to be in a behavioral health institution at minimum until trial… This is sad and sick at the same time!” one person wrote.