Related videos:
Cuban Giovanni Javier Echevarría remains incarcerated without bail after being arrested on Friday, accused of attempting to murder his partner in Miami-Dade, Florida.
Echevarría, 31 years old, shot the woman during an argument at his home in the southwest part of the county, leaving her in critical condition, according to reports from the local press.
The Cuban faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and, when appearing in court this Saturday, a judge denied him bail.
According to the arrest report, Echevarría and the victim had been in a relationship for about three years.
The violent incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Friday, at the 6700 block of Southwest 13th Terrace, near the city of West Miami. While lying in a room of the house, the couple began to argue, but at a certain point, the verbal dispute escalated into a physical altercation; then, the accused grabbed a firearm and shot twice, injuring the woman in the chest and in the left buttock.
Although she was seriously injured, the victim managed to call 911. "He shot me in the chest," she was able to tell the police operator.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office agents who arrived at the scene found her in critical condition and urgently transported her to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where she was intubated and admitted to intensive care. She remains hospitalized.
The Police reported that during the interrogation, Echevarría admitted to having fought with the victim and claimed that he pointed the weapon at his head with the intention of taking his own life.
He also stated that the woman tried to disarm him and that during the struggle, the weapon accidentally discharged.
The detectives seized the weapon, a spent casing, and a projectile at the residence.
According to court records, Echavarría has 72 prior offenses, 43 of which are criminal. He is currently detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami.
The investigation into the case remains open.
Filed under: