SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - One after another, three men stood before a judge in a Miami-Dade courtroom Friday after they were caught on surveillance video burglarizing cars in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Kevin Aleman, Michael Rucker and Randy Meji, along with Josten Medina, who has not made his court appearance yet, have been accused of trying to steal items from unlocked cars in the Westchester neighborhood.
The burglary happened just after 1 a.m., Thursday. Most of it was caught on camera.
“We were raised to always protect for our family and stuff like that,” victim Ahmed Santana said, “so his first instinct was to react to the fact that these guys were breaking into their cars.”
Santana said his brother reacted after seeing suspicious activity through his ring doorbell camera.
“Definitely scary,” Santana said. “You don’t know what can happen.”
Santana said his brother and sister-in-law were home with their kids when their cameras alerted them that someone was in their front yard.
“They saw the suspects walking and breaking into the cars,” Santana said. “Just a desperate move just to come up with things they don’t really work for.”
Santana said his sister-in-law called 911, and his brother ran out the front door to confront them.
That’s when the suspects jumped into their Toyota and sped off.
“He went back in, grabbed the keys to his truck, and he chased them,” Santana said.
Things then took an even more dangerous turn.
The arrest form said, “During the chase, the left rear passenger leaned his entire upper torso out from within the vehicle, aimed a firearm and shot at him approximately six times.”
“One of the suspects came out of the back seat and started shooting at the truck,” Santana said.
Police said the men then crashed the car near Southwest 87th Avenue and 32nd Street, where officers found a semi automatic weapon just feet from the vehicle.
Police eventually arrested them in a homeowner’s back yard.
“To me, it looks like attempted first-degree murder because he’s intently shooting the gun at the victim, over six bullets were discharged,” said Judge Mindy S. Glazer. “You’re arrested for many counts of burglary, grand theft, petty theft and attempted murder.”
Medina did not make an appearance in court due to injuring his shoulder in the crash. He is being treated at the hospital.
“We all make mistakes. I hope they learn from this mistake. They definitely messed with the wrong house,” Santana said.
If all the suspects get out of jail on bond, they are not allowed to have any contact with the victims.
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