HIALEAH, Fla. — A suspect has been arrested following two Miami-Dade County motel shootings that led to the death of a man, although so far he is only officially linked to one of the shootings, authorities said.
According to an arrest warrant, the first shooting was reported just before 5 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2023, at the Hialeah Airport Motel, located at 131 W. Fifth St.
Hialeah police said officers found the victim, Rudy Quesada, 38, inside of Room 209, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Hialeah Fire Rescue personnel transported him to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he underwent surgery and survived his injuries.
According to the warrant, surveillance video shows Jean Felix Fuentes-Gonzalez, now 39, wearing a green skully cap, a black long-sleeved sweater and gloves, and carrying what appeared to be a can of pepper spray, entering the motel room without knocking.
Police said the victim claimed that the suspect, who he did not know, pointed two black revolvers at him and demanded money.
He said a physical altercation ensued, during which time the suspect shot him multiple times.
Police said the victim’s girlfriend, Katherine Melony Lopez, arrived to the motel shortly after the victim was shot.
According to the warrant, police were initially able to locate the stolen vehicle that the suspect fled in, but the suspect remained at large.
Months later, on Feb. 2, 2024, Quesada was gunned down at the Ernesto Motel, located at 4001 W. Flagler St. in Miami, authorities said.
Police said Lopez was inside the motel room at the time of his killing.
According to the warrant, on June 24, 2025, deputies from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that they believed was involved in a narcotics sale and found Fuentes-Gonzalez in the vehicle, along with Lopez and another person as they were consuming suspected cocaine. All three were arrested.
The warrant states that deputies located a brown bookbag in the backseat of the vehicle that had a gun, which matched the casings from the Miami murder scene.
Police said detectives later discovered that Fuentes-Gonzalez had been arrested by Miami police about three weeks after the Hialeah shooting in connection with a vehicle theft and noted that he was wearing a long, black straight-haired wig, which concealed his face.
Police said the wig was distinctively similar to the long black hair of the Hialeah shooter and the hoodie worn by Fuentes-Gonzalez appeared to be the same hoodie worn by the Hialeah gunman.
According to the warrant, detectives learned that Lopez had been in a “romantic relationship” with Fuentes-Gonzalez “before, during and after the Hialeah shooting, and the murder.”
“Ms. Lopez also claimed to be in a relationship with the victim during the Hialeah shooting and at the time of his murder,” the warrant stated.
Fuentes-Gonzalez was arrested Thursday on charges of attempted first-degree murder, grand theft of a vehicle, possession of burglary tools and loitering and prowling.
While he has been charged in connection with the Hialeah shooting, it’s unclear whether he will be charged in connection with the victim’s killing in Miami.
It’s also unclear whether Lopez had any involvement in either case.
As of Friday morning, Fuentes-Gonzalez was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond. Online jail records show he also has an immigration hold.
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