Surveillance Video Shows Couple Trying to Stop Man from Leaving Miami High-Rise After Alleged Sexual Assault
The Incident
Surveillance video shows a couple trying to stop a repeat offender from leaving a high-rise apartment building in Miami after he had allegedly sexually battered a woman. The lobby entry fight, obtained exclusively by 7News, is being considered as crucial evidence to the chilling crime.
The Struggle
Video shows a woman and a man grabbing and holding down 26-year-old Diontae Blackman after they became aware of the alleged heinous crime he had committed. The couple live with the young woman that, police said, Blackman raped.
The Crime
The struggle outside of the downtown high-rise took place on August 26, 2024, at 55 Northeast Fifth Street in Miami. Minutes earlier, security cameras captured Blackman entering the lobby, walking past security, and taking the elevator to the 35th floor. He exits the elevator, wanders the hallway, and moments later, he’d enter the apartment of a 20-year-old woman.
The Alleged Assault
According to the arrest report, the victim was sitting on her balcony when she noticed Blackman, a stranger, standing in her kitchen. “She realizes the suspect was in her kitchen, so she confronts him and says in Spanish ‘What are you doing here?'” said Miami Police Spokesperson Michael Vega. “He had the top of a broken bottle, and told her to go to the room.”
The Aftermath
When she questioned him, Blackman “took his right hand and ran his thumb from left to right across his neck area with the top of the broken glass bottle in hand,” the report states. “Saying like ‘I’m gonna kill you,” explained Vega. Police said she was raped twice.
The Investigation
Then, some 20 minutes later, he is met with resistance at the lobby. Footage shows the man in the lobby exiting when he is stopped by the victim’s roommate and that roommate’s boyfriend. They were informed by the victim of the alleged attack that occurred upstairs. The couple recognized Blackman due to the description given to them by the victim.
The Arrest
They grab and hold Blackman, even at one point hit him with one of their phones, but he broke loose and ran off. He wasn’t arrested until four months later in December.
The Repeat Offender
Miami Police describe Blackman as a repeat offender as he was already arrested back in 2021 for a similar crime at the Lux Brickell Flatiron Building. “How are you doing today?” asked the judge in bond court in 2021. “I’m doing good. I’m ready to get this over with and tell my side of the story,” Blackman said in 2021.
The Conviction and Release
The difference between 2021 and his 2024 crime is that in 2021, the woman, whose home he entered, screamed and sent him running away. The 2021 arrest of Blackman was welcome news to the Brickell community. “Oh my goodness!” said a female resident when she heard what had happened. “I live right here, so this could happen to me,” said another female resident. He was ultimately convicted of assault in 2021, but later was back out on the street and a few years later, he allegedly struck again.
Conclusion
Blackman remains behind bars and awaiting trial. He faces several charges, including armed sex battery, kidnapping, and burglary with assault or battery.
FAQs
Q: What happened in the surveillance video?
A: The video shows a couple trying to stop a repeat offender, Diontae Blackman, from leaving a high-rise apartment building in Miami after he allegedly sexually battered a woman.
Q: What was Blackman’s previous criminal history?
A: Blackman was arrested in 2021 for a similar crime at the Lux Brickell Flatiron Building and was convicted of assault.
Q: How did the couple recognize Blackman?
A: The couple recognized Blackman due to the description given to them by the victim.
Q: What charges is Blackman facing?
A: Blackman faces several charges, including armed sex battery, kidnapping, and burglary with assault or battery.
