Joel Medina, a 51-year-old man well-known in the Hialeah community, was arrested this Monday after being involved in an incident at a Wawa gas station located at 29th Street and 16th Avenue in West Hialeah.
According to the police report, Medina was accused of threatening to stab two individuals, which caused panic among the residents of the area.
The incident began around 10:35 a.m. when the police received an emergency call reporting a shirtless man armed with a knife who was threatening customers at the gas station.
According to witnesses, the victims were filling their vehicle's gas tank when Medina approached them aggressively and threatened to stab them.
In the face of fear, one of the victims took refuge in her car, while Medina moved to the sidewalk, continuing to make threats, this time aimed at passersby.
In a chilling turn of events, the accused returned towards the two individuals he had initially threatened, knife in hand. However, one of them drew a firearm and aimed it at the attacker, prompting Medina to flee the scene.
The accused ran towards Okeechobee Road, moving deeper into the Medley area. Later, he was located by the authorities, who found the knife in one of his pockets.
A troubling history
Residents of the area claim that this is not an isolated incident.
Armando Clavel, a local resident, stated that Medina has a history of erratic and violent behavior.
"We must be careful with him because he is insane and could carry out his threats at any moment," Clavel stated in an interview with America Tevé.
"He has been arrested many times, but he keeps coming back. He's always saying things like women are from the devil and that he's going to set the gas station on fire."
Other testimonies describe Medina as someone physically strong, with an unpredictable and frightening personality. He has even gone so far as to tell fantastic stories, such as the supposed existence of a 3,000-ton snake living in a nearby lake, or a crocodile that he claims is his friend.
Joel Medina faces two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
On Tuesday, he appeared before the court, where he was set bail at $10,000 and ordered to stay away from the victims and the gas station where the events took place.
At the moment, the man remains incarcerated in the county jail.
Filed under: