NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police said a man was shot in the face during an attempted robbery in Northwest Miami-Dade.
The confrontation happened in the middle of the day, Saturday, outside of a convenience store.
Surveillance video captured a man on a bike wearing what appears to be a white sheet approaching 39-year-old Diego Suarez-Perez, who was wearing a red shirt, outside of Tony’s Food Market, located at 2541 NW 95th St., just after 10 a.m.
The subject tried to block the victim from entering his truck and demanded cash at gunpoint.
Authorities said there was a language barrier and the victim did not realize that the subject was trying to rob him.
After the confrontation, the would-be robber pulled out a gun and shot Suarez-Perez in the face. The victim then fled, and the subject biked away in the opposite direction, as seen in the surveillance video.
“He’s a bad guy,” said Miami-Dade Police Detective Lee Cowart. “It was shocking for even me with 20 years experience with a police department. [The victim] didn’t understand what was happening, and the subject just appeared to start shooting at him, and one of the shots actually struck our victim in the face.”
Police believe the shooter is between the ages of 30 and 40 years old.
“We need to get this guy off the street,” Cowart said. “We need to get him off the street quickly.”
7News was there as the victim, Diego Suarez-Perez, called his stepmother from his hospital bed at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
In Spanish, the victim’s stepmother, Mercedes Garrido, explained how he was shot in the face and the bullet is now lodged in the side of his neck in a dangerous spot. She also said that Suarez-Perez is upset and that these instances are things that you don’t expect.
The victim remains in critical condition at JMH.
The gunman remains at large. If you have any information on his whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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