NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have identified the man who, they said, is behind a deadly shooting in Northwest Miami-Dade.
Robert Caleb, 32, is facing a first-degree murder charge less than 24 hours after 19-year-old Jefferey Dumersaint was shot and killed.
Family members of Dumersaint shared pictures of him and spoke to 7News about the tragic event.
“He didn’t deserve to die, but he’s gone. Yesterday at this time, he was alive,” said Dumersaint’s cousin Miralda Gilles. “He was a young cousin, he was like my baby. I loved him.”
“Wow, nobody could see that coming,” said Dumersaint’s cousin Pierre Charles. “It made me so sad that he’s gone so soon.”
The shooting broke out at the shopping center at County Line Plaza, located at 215th Street and Northeast 10th Avenue, shortly after 4 p.m., Monday.
According to charging documents, Caleb was walking towards a 7/11 in the area, heard an engine rev and saw a vehicle speeding towards him. He said it almost hit him.
He confessed to investigators that upon arrival at the shopping plaza, he saw the same car and went to confront the driver, who was later identified as Dumersaint.
An argument turned into a fight that Dumersaint apparently won.
Caleb told police he knew Dumersaint was unarmed, but he grabbed a semi-automatic handgun from his backpack and started shooting at the 19-year-old until he ran out of bullets.
Another man intervened and shot Caleb in the foot as the 32-year-old ran away.
Police said Caleb refused to stop, as he proceeded to reload the gun. He allegedly spotted Dumersaint stumbling, trying to get away, before ultimately falling.
Caleb told detectives Dumersaint was pleading for his life, to which he replied, “What about when I was the one pleading for you to stop.” He then shot the 19-year-old again.
Caleb made his first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon, where he was told he would be held in jail on no bond until his next court date.
Paramedics transported Dumersaint to Aventura Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A father and his 9-year-old son in the area were able to escape the dangerous chain of events.
The father said they were coming to get gas, but he crashed his car trying to avoid the bullets that were coming their way.
“When the bullet hit the car, all I heard was my son scream like I never heard before, man. The worst feeling in my life, man,” the father said.
The father and son were able to escape with just bumps and bruises.
Family members of Dumersaint’s are now left to grieve the loss of their loved one.
“We just have to stay strong, and God will give us the strength we need to move on,” said Charles. “It is too much. It is way too many. It’s time after time after time that we have the same sad ending, and we’re just basically looking at it, and families are in shootings because of that.”
“The shooting of the gun, it needs to stop because we’re suffering from that. We’re losing our kids at the age of 19. No, it’s not fair,” said Gilles.
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