HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) - Miami-Dade Police arrested a 19-year-old man suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend as she headed to catch a school bus in Homestead, Tuesday morning.
Darius Chaney appeared in bond court, Wednesday morning. “Sir, you were arrested for a charge of attempted felony murder, three counts,” said Miami Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer.
According to Miami-Dade Police, Chaney approached the victim from behind as she walked with two other males to catch a bus to Homestead Senior High, at around 6:25 a.m. He then pulled a gun from his jacket and opened fire, hitting the girl in the face.
Police said bullets also hit a nearby parked car.
A witness said she heard the gunshots. “I heard one shot first,” said Olivia de Castro. “Then, one minute later, it was five shots. The girl screamed. I looked out the window. I couldn’t see her because she was behind my car. She got shot. I think it was in her eye.”
Another neighbor, Rodric Brummag, said he also heard gunfire. “I also got two daughters that were also about to leave, so when I heard the gunshots, I told her to stay in the house, and I was going to see what was going on,” he said.
One witness said the victim, a senior at Homestead Senior High School, managed to call 911 from her cellphone.
Once he arrived at the bus stop, Brummag said he helped comfort the victim. “I was trying to make sure she was calm,” he said. “She was definitely wounded in the face. She had bad wounds, bad trauma. She was strong, very strong. A polite young lady through the whole situation.”
The victim, identified as 18-year-old Jennavi Small, was shot near the right eye, according to detectives. She was taken to Jackson South Community Hospital, where she is listed in stable condition.
Small later told police she had dated Chaney for a few weeks before she ended the relationship in November. According to the arrest report, she could lose her right eye.
A neighbor took a picture of the scene, near Southwest 243rd Street and 129th Place.
A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her son was among those walking with Small. “I’m very upset and scared,” she said. “I’m scared for him!”
“They seen the boy come out, and my son say they heard bullets coming past their ear, and he heard the girl say, ‘NO!'” the mother went on to say.
The neighbor also told 7News she had noticed Chaney in the neighborhood, two months ago. “I’d seen him one time standing on the corner right here, and I asked my son who he was,” she said. “He said that he was watching the girl’s house then.”
“It was sad,” said the victim’s classmate. “It was shocking. There’s really no words you can say.”
Detectives detained all three males and questioned them to determine who pulled the trigger.
Chaney faces several serious charges, including attempted murder. He was denied bond and is currently under a mental health watch.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.