Voices, photos inside store where girl was attacked

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Evidence released in the case against the man accused of trying to kill a 9-year-old girl in the restroom of a Best Buy store two months ago includes the voice of employees and customers calling for help and surveillance photos of the suspect in the store, as well as those taken by evidence technicians working the crime scene.

The discovery material was released by the state attorney's office as they prepare for the trial of 29-year-old James Tadros on charges of attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated child abuse and criminal mischief.

Prosecutors say Tadros lured the victim into the bathroom of the electronics store on Southside Boulevard in the late afternoon of Aug. 23, then attacked her.

People in the store heard the girl screaming and raced to help her.

On employee from Best Buy is one of the people who went into the restroom, looked under a stall door and told police they say the attack in progress. The attacker dropped the victim and she scrambled under the wall to get away.

"We need officers here immediately," one employee told the 911 dispatcher. "We need an ambulance, please."

That employee from Best Buy is one of the people who went into the restroom, looked under a stall door and told police they say the attack in progress.

"There was a little girl screaming in our bathroom," a caller told the emergency operator. "We finally got in there to see what was going on. There was a man that had her, that was assailing her in the bathroom. She's bleeding everywhere."

IMAGES: Surveillance, police photos inside Best Buy store
AUDIO: Listen to customer, employee 911 calls

Witnesses told police they saw Tadros holding the girl by the bottom half of her body, her head just outside the toilet. Police say he dropped the girl, and she scrambled underneath the wall to another stall and then the store manager kicked in the door to stop Tadros from getting away.

"We've got him detained here in the ladies' bathroom," a caller said.

Other 911 callers said they were tending to the girl's injuries and trying to locate her mother.

Police said the 9-year-old was treated for multiple bruises, signs of suffocation and attempted drowning.

Tadros is being held without bond. His defense attorney filed a notice of intellectual disability and Tadros will have a psychological examination.


About the Author:

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.