Miami man accused of assaulting theater manager during children’s rehearsal

MIAMI – A 37-year-old man was arrested Monday after police said he assaulted a manager at a theater and resisted officers who tried to take him into custody.

Officers with the Miami Police Department said they responded just before 6 p.m. to reports of a trespasser attacking people at the Manuel Artime Theater, located at 900 SW First St. in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood.

When they arrived, police said they were flagged down by the venue manager, who pointed out the suspect walking away from the scene.

Officers identified the man as Manuel Arturo Baldizon Sarria and attempted to detain him, but police said he resisted arrest by tensing up and pulling away. He was eventually taken into custody after a brief struggle.

According to an arrest report, the theater manager and another witness confronted Baldizon Sarria after teachers described him as a “suspicious man standing uncomfortably close” to girls ages 7 to 12 during a dance rehearsal.

Though the theater is a public venue, the manager — a city employee — revoked permission for him to remain on the property, the report stated.

Police said Baldizon Sarria refused to leave and escalated the confrontation by slapping the manager twice in the face, knocking off the victim’s glasses.

A witness used a city-issued emergency radio to contact dispatch directly, prompting a police response.

Surveillance video reviewed by detectives confirmed the victim’s and witness’s accounts, according to the report.

Jail records show Baldizon Sarria is facing one count each of burglary with assault or battery and resisting an officer without violence.

Authorities said he declined to speak with investigators after invoking his rights at the police station. Officers noted that he showed no signs of intoxication.

As of Tuesday, Baldizon Sarria is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond is listed as “to be set.”