A 28-year-old Cuban, identified by his initials I.B.R., was arrested in Miami-Dade after a woman fell from his moving vehicle, violently hitting the pavement and ending up in critical condition.
The incident occurred around 8:40 a.m. on Saturday and was captured by surveillance cameras, according to the arrest report
Agents from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) responded to the parking lot of a McDonald's located at 26601 S. Dixie Highway in Naranja, an unincorporated area of southwestern Miami-Dade, after receiving a report about a woman who had fallen from a moving vehicle.
Upon arrival, they found the victim, a 37-year-old woman identified later as Nikkita Wongchong, lying face down on the pavement.
Several drivers passing by stopped their vehicles and approached to help her. The agents performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until the paramedics arrived.
The woman was transported in critical condition to Jackson South Medical Center. According to authorities cited by Local 10, doctors later determined that she was brain dead.
The moment of the fall was captured
The surveillance footage reviewed by investigators shows the accused and the woman arriving together at the location, according to the police report. Moments later, the footage shows Wongchong on the outside of the vehicle's trunk.
According to the investigators, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, causing Wongchong to fall and hit his face against the pavement. The vehicle then continued moving and left the parking lot heading southeast, according to the report.
The authorities located the vehicle later at a nearby house and arrested the Cuban there.
According to the arrest report cited by Local 10, the man was taken to the South District station of the MDSO and, after being informed of his Miranda rights, made statements about what happened that investigators described as a "full confession."
No version from the accused or their lawyer regarding the events has been disseminated so far.
He faces a charge of aggravated assault
Baro Rodriguez faces a charge of aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, according to official records from the Miami-Dade correctional system.
The accusation serves as a statement from the authorities, and the man is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court.
In addition, there is a migration detention order against the detainee, according to official records.
This Tuesday, according to the official record consulted, Baro Rodriguez was still detained at the Metrowest Detention Center while the investigation continues.
The authorities had not publicly disclosed what transpired between the accused and the woman immediately before she was found on the trunk of the vehicle, nor the circumstances that led to the incident.
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