Man charged in fatal Rickenbacker Causeway shooting to remain behind bars

Judge rules that Kadel Piedrahita should continue to be held without bond after August attack

MIAMI — A Miami-Dade County judge ruled Wednesday that Kadel Piedrahita should continue to be held without bond after his arrest on a charge of second-degree murder.

Piedarhita, 41, was originally arrested in August.

He is accused of shooting and killing Alex Palencia during a confrontation along the Rickenbacker Causeway.

Defense attorneys argued Piedrahita was not the aggressor, even using cellphone video of the deadly confrontation to try and show that their client was firing in self-defense.

Prosecutors countered, saying both the video and witnesses statements clearly show otherwise.

In the end, the judge sided with the state, ruling Piedrahita continue to be held without bond while he awaits trial.

The trial is set to begin in January.

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Trent Kelly

Trent Kelly

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.