HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - A retired Miami-Dade firefighter took extreme measures to get AT&T workers to remove their trucks from his property, Wednesday morning.
According to Hialeah Police, AT&T utility employees Derrick Taylor and Gilberto Ramos were working on lines near a home located near the corner of Southeast Fifth Place and Sixth Avenue when 64-year-old Jorge Jove, came outside and approached them, at around 11 a.m.
“The owner of the house came out,” said Hialeah Police Sgt. Carl Zogby. “He was upset that the trucks were parked in front of his house, asked them to move.”
Police said Ramos and Taylor told Jove they would remove the vehicle as soon as they were finished with repairs, but that did not appear to satisfy him. “They said, ‘We’ll move in a few minutes. We’re just working on the poles. We’re supposed to be here,'” said Zogby. “He went back into his house, came out a few moments later with a gun and started firing at both AT&T trucks that were on the scene.”
Cellphone video captures the gun-toting homeowner as he circled the trucks and opened fire. “There’s a guy shooting out my tires. There’s a guy shooting out my tires,” Taylor is heard telling police in cellphone video of the incident, followed by audio of air hissing out of the tires.
Taylor called 911 asking for help as Jove continued reloading a second and third time. Meanwhile, Ramos was up in the air working on one of the poles.
The footage also shows Jove taking aim at one of the trucks’ engines. “He flattened their tires, he shot into the bodies of the trucks, he shot at one of the radiators of the trucks,” said Zogby.
However, police said the responding sergeant saw Jove fire at and miss Ramos who was still in the air.
Taylor also said that Jove pointed the gun in his direction before firing at his work truck.
In all, police said, Jove unloaded at least 18 shots. “He seemed to be a quiet man, and something made him snap today,” said Zogby.
No injuries were reported.
Speaking to 7News in Spanish, Jove’s neighbor said she was stunned after seeing the video showing Jove, whom she knows well. “Never, never. This man is impeccable,” said Luisa Morales. “He’s a retired firefighter. He’s an impeccable man.”
Morales said this is not the first time Jove has confronted AT&T employees outside his property. “They had a discussion because he didn’t want them in front of the driveway,” she said. “It has happened before, and they had to repair it, and he asked them to remove the truck out of the driveway.”
AT&T released a statement in response to the incident that read, “We’re grateful nobody was hurt, and we’re working with law enforcement in their investigation. Because there’s an active investigation, I need to refer you to them for any questions.”
Jove was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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