Florida Grandma Celebrating 75th Birthday Shot by Angry Neighbor Searching for Man Who Insulted Him: Cops
MIAMI, FLORIDA — A 75-year-old woman celebrating her birthday was shot during her own party in Miami after an angry neighbor opened fire while searching for someone he claimed had offended him, authorities said. The woman’s 53-year-old son and a 26-year-old guest were also wounded in the attack.
According to an arrest report obtained by WPLG, 38-year-old Angelo Garcia walked over to the home around 1 a.m. Friday and demanded to know where the person who insulted him was. When told the individual was “in Cuba,” Garcia allegedly opened fire on the victims standing outside the residence.
Gunfire Erupts During 75th Birthday Celebration
The shooting took place in the front yard of a Miami home where the family was holding the birthday celebration. Surveillance footage reportedly captured Garcia speaking briefly with partygoers before firing multiple rounds, striking three people.
Witnesses told NBC Miami that the 75-year-old victim — whose name has not been released — screamed in pain as Garcia fired at random, hitting both her and her son.
“He was throwing rocks at cars before pulling out the gun,” the woman later told police from her hospital bed, according to local reports.
The victims were rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where all three survived. Doctors said both the 53-year-old man and 26-year-old guest were in serious but stable condition, while the elderly woman was recovering from multiple gunshot wounds.
SWAT Team Captures Suspect After Hotel Standoff
After the shooting, Garcia fled the neighborhood and barricaded himself in a room at the Comfort Suites Miami-Kendall hotel. A SWAT team and local officers later breached the door and arrested him early Saturday morning.
“It was almost 2 a.m., and then I heard six or seven booms,” said hotel guest Tito Polaco, describing the dramatic arrest.
Police said Garcia, a convicted felon, was armed with a handgun and taken into custody without further incident.
Charges and Ongoing Investigation
Garcia now faces multiple felony charges, including:
- Four counts of second-degree attempted murder or aggravated battery with a deadly weapon
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Displaying a firearm while committing a felony
- Unlawful discharge of a firearm in a residential area
He is being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County.
Neighbors described the area as quiet and peaceful before the violent outburst.
“Nothing like this has ever happened here before,” said neighbor Alfredo Cruz. “It’s a good area, and it’s shocking something like this could happen over anger.”
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