HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) - A robbery attempt involving a minibike sale escalated into a violent shootout, leading to an arrest and leaving a 16-year-old injured, the Homestead Police Department reported.
The confrontation occurred just before 8 p.m. on Tuesday near Northwest First Avenue and Northwest Ninth Street. The victim arranged to exchange a minibike for another motor bicycle plus an additional $200. Upon arriving, the seller was confronted by a group of four men dressed in all black, with one wearing a ski mask, who surrounded the vehicle demanding the minibike.
The situation escalated when the victims attempted to leave, resulting in their vehicle being blocked by an older model Nissan sedan. As they tried to escape, one of the suspects fired shots, striking the 16-year-old in the leg and abdomen.
Authorities identified the shooter as 18-year-old Aureliano Gomez after they linked another subject to an OfferUp account under the name “Mike Gonzalez” and a Facebook ID under the name of T.G. A police report stated that another suspect admitted to arranging the meeting after discovering his stolen minibike was listed for sale and called friends for “backup” to retrieve it.
Two of Gomez’s friends were reportedly arrested and transported to the Homestead Police Department where they provided their recorded statements with detectives.
Detectives were able to find out Gomez’s address and found him there fixing the vehicle that was used in the aforementioned crime. Gomez was taken into custody and now faces charges including attempted murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault. The 16-year-old victim is said to be in stable condition.
In light of this incident, Homestead Police wanted to remind the community of its designated parking spots labeled “Internet Purchase Exchange Location,” which are under 24/7 surveillance video. There are several of these located outside of police stations across Miami-Dade County.
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