MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Miami Beach police arrested a 53-year-old man in connection with a shooting that they said occurred outside a Meridian Avenue apartment this past weekend.
Jail records show Alexander Dejesus Reyes is facing one count of attempted felony murder with a firearm.
Police said officers responded on Sunday to Reyes apartment, located near the 500 block of Meridian Avenue, after receiving reports of shots fired.
Upon arrival, officers contacted Reyes, who said he had fired one shot at a man who had pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him.
The victim told detectives he was walking home when he saw Reyes arguing with a homeless woman outside the building.
An arrest report states that the victim told Reyes to stop yelling at the woman. He said Reyes returned by pointing a gun at him and fired one round.
A witness told detectives he was outside eating pizza with Reyes when the confrontation occurred.
Police said the witness told them that Reyes walked back into his apartment and then returned, yelling at the victim, “You don’t have the balls to shoot me,” in Spanish, before the shot was fired. The witness said he never saw who fired the gun.
Reyes told detectives that he had returned to retrieve his gun from his apartment and confronted the victim again after he pointed a gun at him, according to the report.
Police said Reyes later admitted to firing one round. A spent 9mm casing and a projectile were recovered at the scene, along with the gun, which Reyes later placed in his mailbox.
Police reviewed video from the property, which confirmed the witness’s and Reyes’s statements. Investigators determined Reyes “showed no fear for his life” and intentionally returned to confront the victim before discharging the firearm.
Authorities said Reyes was taken into custody and transported by Miami Beach Fire Rescue to Mount Sinai Medical Center for medical issues, including high blood pressure.
They said no injuries were reported, and a warrant was executed to recover the gun.
Authorities did not disclose why Reyes and the victim were arguing.
As of Wednesday morning, Reyes was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Center.
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