A 21-year-old man, wanted by the United States Army for military desertion, was arrested this Wednesday in Miami-Dade after fleeing from officers during a traffic stop and being involved in a violent crash that left one civilian dead.
The incident occurred around 7:42 PM in Brownsville, in the northwest of the county, when agents from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO) Robbery Intervention Unit stopped the vehicle driven by Luis Manuel Pérez, a resident of Miami, according to a report by NBC Miami.
Upon checking his information, the agents discovered that Pérez had an active arrest warrant from the U.S. Armed Forces. Instead of staying at the site, the young man sped off and fled.
The chase ended shortly after on a dead-end street. According to the authorities, Pérez turned around, ran a stop sign, and collided with a civilian vehicle with such force that it ended up overturned.
The impact also involved a car without insignia from the MDSO, in which there was an officer participating in the search for the suspect.
"I saw it crash into the car and I saw it flip through the air. And that was when he ran over there," said a witness quoted by Local 10. "I saw it happen. I saw parts of the car flying through the air."
The driver of the civilian vehicle was transported in critical condition to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. His identity had not been disclosed while authorities were notifying his family.
The involved officer was treated on-site by the Miami-Dade Fire Department and did not need to be hospitalized.
Pérez was arrested after the crash and taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation.
The U.S. Army later confirmed that there is an active warrant for the young man for military desertion, recorded on February 15, 2026, from Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
"The Army confirms an active warrant for military desertion against Luis Manuel Pérez, registered on February 15, 2026, from Fort Bliss, Texas. The Army does not comment on pending legal proceedings or the resolution of concurrent civil and military jurisdiction," the institution stated in a release.
In addition to the pending military process, Pérez is now facing charges related to the fatal crash in Miami-Dade.
The young man remains detained in the county jail while the investigation continues and it is determined how the proceedings corresponding to the civil and military jurisdictions will be handled.
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