SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – A third arrest was made Wednesday in connection to a drive-by shooting that claimed the life of a 7-year-old boy in southwest Miami-Dade.
Michael Tobler Jr., 19, faces an attempted second-degree murder charge.
Police said he is the cousin of the victim, Amiere Castro, and they believe that the teen is responsible for threatening two other teens who would allegedly return to the home near Southwest 152nd Street later on Sunday and open fire more than a dozen times.
According to an arrest affidavit, Tobler and Dravein Duke, 19, got into an argument over a possible stolen gun during a drug deal at the home. Police said Tobler pulled out a gun from his pocket and "shoved the muzzle into Duke's abdomen."
The report details how Duke and his alleged getaway driver, Maxwell Trewin, 21, reportedly drove away with two other men, when Tobler allegedly raised his gun and fired it about three times at the Dodge Ram truck.
According to police, the subsequent drive-by that killed Castro was an act of retaliation. Tobler denies any involvement.
On Thursday, a Miami-Dade County judge ordered that he be held on a $50,000 bond. He will be placed on house arrest if he posts bail.
News of the arrest comes the same day residents in the area gathered to address crime plaguing the community.
A standing room only crowd gathered in Southwest Miami-Dade at Sgt. Joe Delancy Richmond Heights Park, speaking in frustration following a recent rash of shootings involving young people in the area.
"We have an epidemic," Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said. "There are children killing children and we need to wipe it out."
The mayor, the district commissioner and local pastors called this recent outbreak the beginning of a spiritual war.
"This is a battle. We're declaring war because we've been declared war upon," said one pastor.
A 13-year-old was shot three times in the Naranja community one day after Castro was killed.
Hours before the meeting, another drive-by shooting was reported a couple of blocks away from the park.
Authorities encouraged residents to keep open lines of communication.
Local leaders handed out forms, asking residents to tell them about homes that need to be looked into for criminal activity and after the meeting say they are establishing new programs and initiatives to get weapons off the street and keep young people busy.