A photo released by the Miami Beach Police Department after arresting Marwan Habib. (Credit: WSVN 7News television)
BEIRUT – Marwan Habib, who in late 2019 gained notoriety in Lebanon after dozens of women came forward with allegations he harassed them, was arrested by Miami, Florida police, who said the Lebanese national broke into his victim’s hotel room and assaulted her.
Here’s what we know:
• On Friday, Habib appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez on charges of burglary with assault and battery, WSVN 7News television in Miami reported.
• In the arrest report, excerpts of which were published by WPLG Local 10 Miami news, the victim told police that after meeting Habib, the suspect had broken into her hotel room and assaulted her last November.
• “While sleeping in her hotel room the victim stated she was awakened by the sound of a door slamming in the morning hours Nov. 7th 2021. Then the victim saw the defendant at the foot of her bed in which he jumped on top of her and began to kiss her and touch her,” the police report said.
• After managing to defend herself from Habib and get him to leave, according to the arrest report, the victim contacted the hotel management to query how the suspect got access to her room. The hotel staff said “the defendant had her information and even had a woman on the phone pretending to be her, so he was given a key thinking it was her granting access.”
• According to the arrest report, Habib made a full confession of the incident at the hotel room.
• Habib’s neighbor in Miami told WSVN 7News television she and numerous other women had filed harassment complaints against the Lebanese man. In its report, the Miami Beach Police Department said it had “received various complaints” from Habib’s victims “reporting the defendant’s odd and concerning behavior.”
• Habib remains in detention in Miami, according to WSVN 7News television. During his bond hearing Friday, Habib asked the judge whether he could post bond and go home. “You’re not going home today, sir,” Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez responded to him.
• In December 2019, dozens of women in Lebanon came forward with accounts charging Habib of sexually harassing them. A lawsuit filed against Habib did not gain traction in Lebanese courts. Local broadcaster MTV invited the suspected serial harasser for a lengthy TV interview in which he claimed to have been not guilty of any of the allegations against him.