Alleged getaway driver in fatal shooting at Booby Trap arrested

Anthony Rodriguez faces charges in shooting that killed security guard

Anthony Rodriguez is accused of driving the getaway car used in a fatal shooting at the Booby Trap in January.

MIAMI – A 25-year-old convicted felon, who has facial tattoos that helped witnesses to identify him, is facing felony charges for his alleged role in a January fatal shooting at the Booby Trap.

The Jan. 17 shooting killed one person and left another wounded.

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Jose D. Otero, a 31-year-old Coral Springs resident who worked as a security guard at the club, was shot in the torso and died. Eric Bauer, a 46-year-old club employee, was shot in the hand and drove himself to Jackson Memorial Hospital.  

Miami-Dade police homicide detectives believe Anthony Rodriguez drove a stolen car to the strip club on Northwest South River Drive with Semaj Charles and an accomplice when they returned for revenge after being kicked out.

During the detectives' investigation of the fatal shooting, the accomplice turned on Rodriguez and Charles. Surveillance videos and witnesses place the trio at the club and in the area where officers found the stolen car and the rifle that was used in the shooting. 

Witnesses told police officers it all started with an argument that escalated into a fist fight in front of the club's bar. The security guards tasked with kicking them out told police officers Rodriguez, Charles and the accomplice threatened to come back and shoot them. 

According to Miami-Dade police Detective Juan C. Chaidez, Rodriguez and the accomplice left in a black Nissan Maxima with a temporary Florida tag registered to Rodriguez's mother, and Charles left in a gray Dodge Charger. 

The security guards told police officers the trio didn't make empty threats. Witnesses said a silver sedan arrived in front of the club and a man who was wearing dark clothing discharged an assault rifle. Crime scene investigators found 26 casings in front of the club. 

Detectives found the black Nissan Altima that Rodriguez was driving in a parking lot at 5942 NW 18th Ave., across from the Charles R. Drew K-8 Center. Hours later, they spotted Rodriguez leaving an apartment there, and they arrested him for possession of marijuana. They also seized the car. 

The two women who live in the apartment, where Rodriguez was allegedly a guest, provided written consent allowing detectives to search inside, police said. With the help of a police dog, the officers found an AK-74 assault rifle Jan. 18.

According to Chaidez, forensic investigators determined the rifle was a match to the ballistic evidence that crime scene investigators recovered Jan. 17 from the Booby Trap on the River property.

Officers also found more items in the apartment that incriminated Rodriguez. They included a black hooded jacket, a ski mask with two holes cut into it at the position of the eyes and a gray sweatshirt with a design of a bear with gold teeth. 

Walking distance from the apartment near Charles Drew Middle School, detectives say they found a silver 2017 Nissan Altima that the Coral Gables Police Department reported stolen Jan. 16. It fit the description of the vehicle at the fatal Jan. 17 shooting. 

The accomplice, who detectives identified in court documents only as J.L., told detectives on Jan. 24 that Rodriguez was driving the stolen car, records show. He also said he was in the front seat and Charles, who was in the backseat, was the shooter, according to Chaidez.  

Semaj Charles was released from prison in 2015 after he was convicted for a 2011 armed robbery.

Rodriguez was arrested on charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. 

Miami-Dade County court records show Charles, who is also a convicted felon, hasn't been charged. 


About the Author:

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.