WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - An off-duty City of Miami Police officer shot and killed a man who allegedly attempted to break into a West Miami-Dade home while his teenage son was inside, according to investigators.
Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue units responded to the scene along the 700 block of Southwest 98th Court at around 4 p.m., Monday.
“I hear ‘Boom, boom, boom, boom,'” neighbor Raul Artiles said. “Somebody shooting with a pistol, like 10 or 13 times.”
.@MiamiDadePD: someone tries breaking into a W. Miami-Dade house this afternoon
13-year-old boy in house
Boy calls parents for help
Boy’s off duty @MiamiPD father comes to house, encounters, shoots and kills accused attempted burglar @wsvn pic.twitter.com/n3WdznTcyU
— Sheldon Fox-7 News (@fox_sheldon) November 23, 2020
According to police, a person attempted to break into the home while a 13-year-old boy was inside.
“The 13-year-old child located within the residence contacted his parents and stated that someone was trying to break in from the rear,” Miami-Dade Police detective Kristopher Welch said. “His father, a City of Miami Police officer, responded on scene, confronted the subject, shots were fired. He ultimately succumbed to his injuries.”
“That’s a natural response I would say,” said neighbor Orencio Castillo.
“That’s natural,” said another nearby resident.
Christina Carmenate said when she heard what happened, she rushed to the scene to provide moral support for her cousin.
“Somebody was trying to break into her house,” she said. “She called her ex-husband that is a police officer, and there was some type of altercation, and there was a shooting. It was a robbery. It was an attempted robbery, and the bad person was the one hit.”
Paramedics transported the suspected crook as a trauma alert to Kendall Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. He has since been identified as 29-year-old Anthony Arias.
7SkyForce HD hovered over the home where the shooting took place, and aerial footage showed blood on, what appears to be, a family’s driveway.
“He probably thought the house was empty,” said Castillo.
Artiles, who has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years, said he is trying to process a rare day on his block.
“This neighborhood is very, very peaceful, very nice,” he said. “I never hear a shooting or anything like that.”
“This is the first time I hear about one in almost 20 years,” said Castillo.
City of Miami Police confirmed the officer involved is a veteran of their department, and at least one uniformed officer from the department was spotted responding during the investigation.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.
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