Suspect, angry about response time, fatally shoots AAA contractor, police say

Jesus Esquivel faces charge of second-degree murder

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 63-year-old man fatally shot a contractor for the 24-hour roadside assistance service AAA, because he was angry about how much time it took for the victim to get there, police said.

Jesus Esquivel was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early Wednesday on a charge of second-degree murder.

According to a Miami-Dade police report, Esquivel was waiting at his Kendall home on Southwest 87th Court for AAA to fix a malfunctioning car battery.

When the technician called Esquivel to tell him that he was on the way, Esquivel became irate and threatened the technician, police said.

The technician called AAA dispatch and asked to be removed from the service call because of the threats, police said.

AAA then assigned Magdiel Hernandez, 38, to the service call, police said. Hernandez is an employee of a company contracted by AAA. 

Magdiel Hernandez was fatally shot during an argument with another man in Kendall.

When Hernandez arrived, Esquivel confronted him and shot him multiple times, police said.

Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene.

Esquivel, who claimed to be a U.S. military veteran, was taken to Baptist Hospital, where he received medical attention. After Esquivel was discharged, he was taken to the Miami-Dade Police Department, where he confessed to shooting Hernandez, police said.

Esquivel's neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told Local 10 News that he was planning to fix the suspect's fence.

"I'm glad I didn't go into fixing the fence, because who know how he -- he was friendly with me -- but who knows how he would have reacted in the course of that work being done?" the neighbor said.

Police said Esquivel was previously arrested in 2015 for pistol-whipping a man. 

The victim in that case, Fabian Reyes Martell, told Local 10 News reporter Liane Morejon that Esquivel, who was interested in hiring Reyes Martell as a handyman, showed him around his house so that he could see the work that needed to be done.

Among the things in Esquivel's house was a room full of weapons that he showed to the victim, Reyes Martell said.

The victim said Esquivel told him that he was a former Navy Seal and that's why he collected weapons.

An agreement was made to do handyman work for $2,000 dollars and Esquivel cut the victim a check, Reyes Martell said.

The victim said the deal was eventually canceled and Esquivel asked for the check back.

Reyes Martell said he gave the check back, but Esquivel became enraged and told him that the check he gave him was for $3,000 and claimed that Reyes Martell was giving him a bogus check.

Reyes Martell said he assured Esquivel that it was the original check and showed him Esquivel's signature.

But he said Esquivel wasn't having it and struck him on the head  and on his side with a gun.

Reyes Martell said he later spoke to Esquivel's ex-wife, who told him that Esquivel had mental issues, was not a former Navy Seal and that he had made previous threats to family members.

The victim said he's not surprised to hear that Esquivel is accused of murder and said that it was only a matter of time because the suspect was unhinged.

Reyes Martell said he feels for the latest victim's family.


About the Authors:

Liane Morejon is an Emmy-winning reporter who joined the Local 10 News family in January 2010. Born and raised in Coral Gables, Liane has a unique perspective on covering news in her own backyard.