By james art The Hialeah Police Department announced Tuesday the arrest of two young Cuban nationals charged with attempted murder following a shooting incident involving two people in the Florida city earlier this month, as well as a previous shooting in Miami. Yosmani Yerondi Rodriguez Granados23 and Dagoberto Gonzalez Gomez22, were wanted for their involvement in a shooting that occurred on October 1 at 7:45 p.m. in a parking lot near the Pura Vida condominium on West 16th Avenue in Hialeah.
In addition, Miami police were also looking for Rodriguez for his alleged role in an earlier incident in the city where one of the same victims from the recent attack was targeted. As a result, Rodriguez faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder, while Gonzalez is charged with attempted second-degree murder.
Details of the incident
According to the Hialeah Police Department report highlighted by Local 10 News, the two victims left the apartment complex and walked to their car parked on West 29th Street on the night of October 1st. Once they were both inside the vehicle, Gonzalez, who was hiding in nearby bushes, alerted Rodriguez. He then approached in his car and reached out from the driver’s window and fired several shots at the victims.
Fortunately, the bullets hit the front hood of the car and the victims were unharmed. Rodriguez and Gonzalez fled the scene immediately after the attack. The identities of the victims remain undisclosed by authorities. The incident was caught on surveillance cameras and witnessed by bystanders. Those surveillance images, along with witness statements and cell phone geolocation data, allowed Hialeah police to identify the suspects.
Arrest and court proceedings
Rodriguez was taken into custody Monday night without resistance and officers said he was carrying a firearm in his pocket at the time of the arrest. He refused to testify before the investigators. However, officials noted that Rodriguez may be connected to the previous shooting in Miami, where one of the same victims was attacked. Authorities have not released further details about that earlier incident.
The Hialeah and Miami police departments are working together to investigate both cases, seeking to determine if they are related to a common motive and if Rodriguez is involved in other similar events in the area. Rodriguez appeared in court on Tuesday, as reported by AméricaTeVe, facing charges including two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, discharging a deadly projectile and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. Meanwhile, Gonzalez has been charged with attempted second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. Both men are being held for immigration-related reasons.
As of Tuesday, the two Cubans remain in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK) in Miami-Dade County.