Police said Michael Polanco grabbed the 13-year-old at a South State Road 7 gas station before officers arrested him nearby.
MIRAMAR, FL — A 32-year-old man is facing kidnapping and battery charges after police accused him of grabbing a 13-year-old girl at a gas station in Miramar and trying to take her away before he was arrested nearby.
Miramar police identified the suspect as Michael Polanco, of Davie. Police information released to local news organizations said the encounter happened Monday evening along South State Road 7. Officers responding to a report of a possible attempted kidnapping later found Polanco after receiving information about another disturbance involving a man matching his description. The teenager and a witness identified him, authorities said.
According to an arrest report described by WSVN, Polanco approached the girl from behind, put an arm around her neck and tried to walk away with her. The report said surveillance video showed him pulling the girl away from other people. The teenager told investigators that Polanco released his grip a short time later and walked away. The report also said Polanco had asked someone at the location for scissors before the encounter.
Other reporting based on information released by Miramar police said a witness at the gas station intervened and helped the teenager get away. Police have not publicly released the surveillance recording in the reports reviewed, and the available accounts differ on some details about exactly how the encounter ended.
There is also a discrepancy in published accounts over the precise location and timing of the incident. Miramar police information reported by NBC 6 and CBS Miami placed the encounter at a Shell station at 2840 S. State Road 7 at about 5:34 p.m. Monday. WSVN, citing an arrest report, placed the encounter Sunday evening at Miramar Quick Lube, 2750 S. State Road 7. Both locations are along the same stretch of South State Road 7. Authorities had not publicly clarified that discrepancy in the reports reviewed Tuesday.
Police said Polanco left the area after the alleged encounter. While officers were responding, they learned that a man matching his description was involved in another disturbance nearby. Officers went to that location, detained him during their investigation and brought the teenager and a witness into the identification process, according to police accounts reported by CBS Miami and NBC 6.
Authorities said both the girl and the witness positively identified Polanco. He was then arrested and taken to the Broward County Main Jail. Police accused him of kidnapping involving bodily harm or terrorizing a victim and battery causing bodily harm. The charges are accusations, and the case has not been resolved in court.
NBC 6 reported that a judge denied Polanco bond Tuesday. The station also reported that police described him as having previous offenses that included felony battery, burglary with assault, narcotics offenses and exposure of sexual organs. Separate reporting from CBS Miami listed felony battery, resisting arrest and exposure of sexual organs among prior offenses cited by police. Those earlier matters are separate from the allegations involving the teenager.
The girl’s name was not released, consistent with protecting the identity of a minor victim. Authorities had not released detailed information about any injuries she may have suffered. The arrest-report account said she was frightened by the encounter, while police reports cited by local stations did not provide additional information about her condition.
Polanco remained in custody after his Tuesday court appearance, according to local reporting. The case will proceed through the Broward County court system, where prosecutors will have to establish the allegations against him. No plea or defense response was available in the verified reports reviewed Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated October 20, 2026.