Yudaisy Salgueiro, una cubana de 47 años, profesional de la salud y residente en Miami, ha hablado desde una cama del hospital Jackson Memorial con Telemundo 51 y Univision para ofrecer un desgarrador testimonio sobre el intento de feminicidio que sufrió a manos de su expareja dentro del complejo de apartamentos donde ambos vivían.
“I tell you that all of this has been a miracle”, he stated in remarks to Telemundo 51, still recovering from a gunshot wound that penetrated his chest.
The events took place on Tuesday, August 26, shortly before 4:00 p.m., at the Monte Carlo Apartments complex, located at the intersection of Northwest 72nd Avenue and 3rd Street, south of SR 836 Highway, in western Miami-Dade County.
According to the Sheriff's Department (MDSO), officers arrived at the scene after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire.
Upon arrival, they found a woman with injuries to her upper body: it was Yudaisy.
“The bullet entered through the top of the heart and exited through the back”, recounts the victim. The impact caused him a pneumothorax.
"I had a hemothorax, which is blood in the lung," he explains.
Despite the severity of the impact, surgery was not necessary. “Thank God it was just one bullet”, he adds.
Regarding her relationship with the attacker, Yudaisy recounts that they were together for ten years and had been separated for a year.
"What really happened, I never imagined it, because we were a couple that had been together for ten years," she repeats.
He adds that "he wasn't aggressive. We never argued," which makes the attack that nearly cost him his life even more bewildering.
The attack: "He killed me, call 911"
Yudaisy was returning from work that afternoon and was heading to her parents' apartment—who also live in the same building, when she was attacked by "Javier".
"When I pressed the button to open the elevator, he shot me," he recounts. According to witnesses, the assailant suddenly emerged from the elevator and opened fire.
A neighbor who witnessed the events recounted, “Something exploded in the second-floor elevator of the building, the girl came out screaming, and the man followed her. It seems he came out of the elevator and shot at her. Then she ran down the stairs, screaming for someone to help. After that, gunshots were heard along with the sound of breaking glass from the windows... but I did see when he shot the girl, and she came out screaming.”
Yudaisy, injured, managed to escape as best as she could. “I pressed on where the bullet entered and ran to the third floor. I threw myself face down on the bed and pressed hard,” she recalls.
It was then that a neighbor found her and helped her: “I brought her in and quickly shut the door, and she said to me: ‘she killed me, call 911’.”
The paramedics from the Miami-Dade Fire Department rushed her to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The chase through the building
After shooting him, Javier did not flee. A pursuit ensued inside the building, putting more people in danger. The assailant broke the windows of Yudaisy's apartment while trying to enter, not knowing that she was already on another floor.
Then, he went to his parents' apartment, where he also broke a window and managed to gain access armed.
"He broke the glass, entered the apartment, and aimed at the mother-in-law," say the relatives.
María Elena, the victim's mother, recalls how she confronted the attacker: “I struggled with him and managed to lock myself in my room.”
According to her, “he didn’t shoot because the bullet didn’t come out.” Yudaisy adds, “It seems he didn’t even know how to handle the gun, thank God.”
Chaos spread throughout the building. A neighbor reported to the channel WSVN: “I saw when he shot the woman and she ran out screaming.” Another resident stated, “There was a lot of commotion. He even came into my house.”
At the end of the day, several apartments displayed bullet holes in windows and furniture, silent witnesses to the unleashed violence.
The conclusion: Dead in his apartment
The neighbors assisted the officers in locating the apartment where the attacker had taken refuge. Upon reaching the fourth floor, the police found the suspect armed.
"When they found an individual armed with a firearm, a shootout occurred between the suspect and three of our agents," explained Eric García, assistant sheriff, in statements to WSVN.
After the shooting, the officers took up a tactical position and requested reinforcements. The Special Response Team (SRT) arrived shortly after and found the attacker dead inside the apartment.
It has not yet been confirmed whether he died from a self-inflicted gunshot or crossfire. The case has been transferred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), as required by protocol when officers discharge their weapons while on duty.
The operation triggered a significant police presence that included the closure of traffic on NW 72 Avenue and Flagler Street, impacting circulation in the area. On social media, the community account Only in Dade shared images of the operation and the moment several patrol cars surrounded the building.
From the hospital, Yudaisy tries to come to terms with what has happened. "I feel relieved knowing that the attacker will not be a threat to me or my family," she concludes.
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