Shooting leads to massive manhunt in Hialeah

Police track down suspect after two people shot in family dispute

HIALEAH, Fla. – Police scoured a neighborhood in Hialeah late Saturday after a gunman shot a woman and a man in a family dispute, authorities said. The search, involving officers, members of the SWAT team, K-9 units and a police helicopter, ended with police arresting 53-year-old Braulio Gonzalez.

Capt. Eddie Rodriquez, a spokesman for the Hialeah Police Department, said 24-year-old Yenisledy Malagon and 28-year-old Leopoldo Merano were shot around 7 p.m. near East 52nd Street and East Eighth Lane.

Paramedics transported the victims to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Their conditions were not disclosed. Police did not say how the victims were related to Gonzalez.

Police said one of the K-9 units eventually found Gonzalez, and officers took him into custody. 

The shootings and the manhunt unnerved residents in the neighborhood.

"It is scary out here. You think that living next to the police station, you are safe," said David Valdez, a neighbor.

Police said Braulio Gonzalez shot Yenisledy Malagon (above) in the head.

About the Authors:

Roy Ramos joined the Local 10 News team in 2018. Roy is a South Florida native who grew up in Florida City. He attended Christopher Columbus High School, Homestead Senior High School and graduated from St. Thomas University.