A man of Cuban origin was shot and killed in front of an apartment building in Hialeah, in a violent incident that was partially captured by surveillance cameras and resulted in the arrest of the alleged assailant hours later.
The shooting that occurred around 6:18 AM this Wednesday, when area residents began calling the police after hearing multiple gunshots in the vicinity of West 19 Avenue and West 56 Street, near the entrance of an apartment complex.
According to the authorities in Hialeah, several people reported hearing up to ten gunshots, which triggered a large police response in the area.
When the agents arrived at the scene, they found the lifeless body of a man on the sidewalk in front of the building.
Aerial images captured by the helicopter of Telemundo 51 showed the body covered with a yellow tarp while investigators cordoned off the area.
Family identifies the victim
The authorities initially did not disclose the identity of the victim. However, relatives identified him as Dick Coutin Estrada, a married man and father of two children.
A woman named Adelkis - who claimed to be the cousin of the deceased man's wife - told Telemundo 51 that the man was leaving for work when he was attacked.
"My cousin is a man who came here to work, to support his family," he stated.
The woman also recounted how the family began to suspect that something had happened.
"My cousin realized that something was wrong when the car remained parked outside and he wasn't answering the phone", she explained.
Through tears, she added, "It hurts because I love my cousin. My cousin is like a sister to me."
Neighbors in the area indicated that the victim, around 50 years old, had arrived in the United States from Cuba less than two years ago through humanitarian parole.
The suspect was arrested following a police search
Hours after the shooting, the police arrested Dairon Rosas Delgado, 37 years old, identified as the alleged perpetrator of the attack. Telemundo 51 has described him as a "neighbor" of the victim.
According to the authorities, the man fled the scene immediately after the shooting, which prompted a search operation in the city.
He was finally arrested while driving in the area of West 4 Avenue and West 18 Street, also in Hialeah.
The suspect faces charges of second-degree murder with a firearm.
The spokesperson for the Hialeah police, Eddie Rodríguez, explained that in the early hours there were unconfirmed reports circulating about the possible situation of the aggressor.
“The information we received at the time was that the gunman was holed up in his apartment (…) or that he had taken a hostage, but that information was never confirmed. What we know is that after the events, he fled the scene,” he pointed out.
Rodríguez added that the interrogation of the detainee could be key to clarifying what is still unclear in the case.
"That interview could be key in determining what the police still does not know: the motive behind the alleged homicide," he emphasized.
A video captured the moments leading up to the attack
A surveillance video released later shows the moments leading up to the crime.
The images show a man walking on the sidewalk when another individual approaches from behind.
According to what is seen in the recording, the suspect apparently pulls out a weapon and fires several times in the direction of the victim, who collapses on the spot.
Another video, released by local media, shows that the man was chased before he was shot, just as he apparently left his home on his way to work.
Neighbors woke up to a "rain of gunfire."
The sound of gunfire woke several residents of the building and nearby homes.
“For me, it sounded like a rifle… there were many shots… and then a woman screaming ‘no, no, no!’,” recounted a resident identified as Yanet Torres, who said she was abruptly awakened by the gunfire.
Another neighbor, Pedro, described a similar scene after hearing the burst of gunfire.
"I heard the shots… to me, it sounded like a rifle, I felt about 10 shots. And a woman started screaming 'no, no'... I looked out from the balcony and there was a woman with a little dog. When I went outside after the police arrived, I saw it lying in front of the house," he recounted.
Following the reports, the police deployed patrols, crime scene investigators, and tactical units to secure the area.
The mayor of Hialeah, Bryan Calvo, also went to the scene and was seen talking with officials during the early hours of the investigation.
For now, the reason for the shooting remains under investigation, as authorities continue to gather evidence and testimonies to clarify exactly what happened in the attack that resulted in the death of the Cuban in front of his home.
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