A security video that shows a man walking into a Miami Springs dance studio and pressing his face into a couch cushion where a person had just been sitting has sparked widespread outrage online, but police say no criminal charges will be filed.<\/p>\n
The incident occurred late Tuesday evening in the lobby of Starlight Dance Studio, a children\u2019s dance school in the small municipality, according to a police incident report obtained by New Times.<\/p>\n
The 30-second video clip, which clearly has been remixed, shows a pixelated figure standing up from a gray couch and exiting the premises. A bespectacled man wearing dark shorts and a gray shirt enters through the same door, looks around, then bends over and buries his face in the couch cushions.<\/p>\n
NEW: Security camera at a Miami dance studio shows a man walk in and sniff the spot where an underage student had been sitting<\/p>\n
The dance studio contacted the police, and an investigation is underway pic.twitter.com\/hBnQDdPwNy<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) November 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen news happens, Miami New Times is there \u2014 \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If\u00a0Miami New Times\u00a0matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Miami Springs Police Chief Matthew Castillo confirmed to New Times that the studio\u2019s owners contacted his department after seeing the CCTV footage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Miami Springs Police Department is aware of a video currently circulating online involving an individual inside a local dance studio,\u201d Castillo said in a written statement. \u201cUpon receiving the report, our officers initiated a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the incident.\u201d<\/p>\n According to a Miami Springs Police Department incident report obtained by New Times, a dance studio employee described the suspect as a white Hispanic male, approximately five-foot-six, with black combed hair, who was wearing a gray Adidas polo shirt, black shorts, and glasses.<\/p>\n \u201cShe observed the listed subject on the business\u2019s CCTV footage entering the establishment while holding a cellphone in his hand,\u201d the report states. \u201cThe subject was then seen approaching and sniffing the cushion of a couch located in the lobby area of the business and fleeing in an unknown direction of travel.\u201d<\/p>\n The witness said she subsequently observed a white SUV without headlights traveling northbound toward Hialeah.<\/p>\n Miami Springs detectives used facial-recognition software to identify the man as a 38-year-old Miami Springs resident and cross-referenced that information with an automated license-plate reader system that showed his vehicle near the dance studio moments after he left. <\/p>\n According to the incident report, officers went to the suspect\u2019s home on Thursday. <\/p>\n \u201cContact was made with [the suspect] at his residence,\u201d a supplemental report states. \u201c[He] was spoken to about the incident that occurred and was informed that he cannot go back to the dance studio.\u201d<\/p>\n The report classifies the case as a \u201csuspicious incident\u201d and notes that the suspect also has a pending investigation with the Hialeah Police Department.<\/p>\n New Times is not naming the suspect because no charges were filed.<\/p>\n Hialeah Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from New Times on Friday.<\/p>\n Chief Castillo praised the studio\u2019s owners for contacting law enforcement as soon as they saw the footage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe individual depicted in the video has been identified and, at this time, it has been determined that he has no affiliation or connection to the dance studio,\u201d the chief added in his statement to New Times. \u201cOur department worked closely with the State Attorney\u2019s Office and presented all available information for review. Following that review, it was determined that no criminal charges will be filed.\u201d<\/p>\n The video clip, which surfaced early Thursday on X (formerly Twitter) account Unlimited L\u2019s<\/a>, was further amplified on other social media platforms and on the tabloid site TMZ<\/a>. By Friday afternoon, it had been viewed more than 6 million times, fueling debate among parents and other commenters as to whether the behavior, widely described as \u201ccreepy\u201d and \u201cdisturbing,\u201d should be a crime.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Your support strengthens our coverage.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n