Father arrested, charged with aggravated child abuse after surveillance video captures attack on 2-year-old girl, police say
Andrei Sevastianov has been arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after surveillance footage allegedly showed him inflicting pain on his 2-year-old daughter in Sunny Isles Beach
By Jessica Holly, Marisela Burgos, Dannielle Garcia, Tynisa Senior, Kevin Boulandier
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SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Florida (WSVN) — A father has been arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after surveillance footage allegedly showed him inflicting pain on his 2-year-old daughter in Sunny Isles Beach, police said.
According to the Sunny Isles Beach Police, officers were dispatched to La Perla condominium located at 16600 Collins Avenue, just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday. after receiving an anonymous report citing possible child abuse.
Upon arrival, officers reviewed the condo building lobby surveillance video, which shows the offender, 37-year-old Andrei Sevastianov, kicking, dragging, pushing, dropping and violently shaking the child as they make their way to an elevator after spending some time at the pool.
“I’ve seen people treat dogs this way, and you’re outraged. To see someone treat a young, defenseless, innocent child like that is incomprehensible, for lack of a better word,” said Sunny Isles Beach Police Sgt. Brian Schnell. “I know what he did was beyond unacceptable. Beyond unacceptable.”
Moments before, at the pool, investigators said Sevastianov appeared to tighten a towel around the child’s neck and slam her head against his shoulder before heading inside.
“He enters the front of the building, and he drops her on the floor as he walks in, and then he kicks her to the side, like out of his way, and then, to get her back onto her feet, he reaches down and grabs her by the hair to get her to her feet,” said Schnell. “Once she is standing, he grabs her by the arm and begins walking with her.”
All this happened as the child visibly struggled.
“Her hair was pulled, her arm was yanked on. She was kicked, dropped, just things that you don’t expect to see happen to a child, especially at the hands of someone that they trust most in the world, their father,” said Schnell.
According to an arrest report, Sevastianov said he did not lose his temper and claimed the toddler he was being “difficult.”
Detectives said he put up a fight as officers put him in handcuffs in the hallway.
“What he said was, he knows the video looks terrible, but it’s not the whole story,” said Schnell.
The child was transported to a nearby children’s hospital to be observed. Investigators said she didn’t appear to have any serious injuries.
Police said the child’s mother saw the video and she was deeply disturbed.
Sevastianov was visiting the United States from Russia and will now be spending part of his vacation behind bars.
He faces three counts of aggravated child abuse, five counts of child abuse with no great bodily harm, and one count of resisting arrest with violence.
He is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.
At his court appearance on Wednesday, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer denied him bond.
“I’m finding probable cause for all of the charges. Sir, you are ordered to stay away from your daughter,” she said.
A woman was heard telling the judge about their return flight ..
“Yes I understood but we are tourist here and we have return flight tickets on the 12th of June,” said the woman.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has been contacted and are involved in the investigation.
Sevastianov will likely be held without bond in Miami-Dade County jail until June when he’s scheduled for an arraignment hearing.
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