A teenager ended up in a hospital after she tried photographing a man who forced his way into a Florida home, investigators say.
It happened Friday, Jan. 26, in Hobe Sound, and the teen took action after contacting her father, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Hobe Sound is about 100 miles north of Miami.
“(The suspect) broke into the home, and was confronted by a 17-year-old girl who was alone inside,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
“The teenager called her dad on Facetime to tell him someone was inside their home. (The suspect) ran and the teenager followed trying to get pictures of the suspect. Unfortunately, (he) turned around and began beating the teen.”
A witness called 911 after seeing the attack, which included strikes to the girl’s head and neck, officials said.
The suspect escaped the scene but was captured later that day in Palm Beach County, which is just south of Martin County.
Detectives working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as a 42-year-old Honduran man. He has been charged with “occupied burglary, battery, robbery by sudden snatching, and child abuse,” officials said.