SWEETWATER

A Sweetwater man and two others billed an auto insurance company more than $91,000 for injuries sustained in a hit-and-run crash in the summer of 2022. But according to authorities, there was a problem: they weren’t hurt, because there was no crash.

Detectives were investigating the source of the emails and calls that prompted false alarms on Tuesday at university and college campuses in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and St. Lucy counties.

Local 10 Weather Authority is tracking a storm moving eastward.

A Miami man was arrested Monday after being accused of spitting on an elderly man over a parking space dispute at a gas station in Sweetwater, police say.

Five years ago, Wednesday, a 174-foot-long pedestrian bridge that was under construction collapsed after a section splintered just outside Florida International University’s main campus in Miami-Dade.

A Miami-based nonprofit organization will be providing free mammograms to uninsured women between the ages of 40 to 60 years old next week in Sweetwater.

State wants to help affordable housing developers as senior housing project opens in Miami-Dade

Police officers reported finding 16 forms of U.S. identification, including driver’s licenses and social security cards, and 47 debit cards in a man’s car and wallet on Sunday in Miami-Dade County.

Miami-Dade police released new details Wednesday, a day after a body was discovered inside a vehicle behind Keiser University in Sweetwater.

Police are investigating after a body was found inside a vehicle Tuesday afternoon in Sweetwater.

Sweetwater police arrested a 48-year-old South Florida man accused of being a serial panty thief Tuesday.

Organizations collected critical supplies for Hurricane Ian victims at the Dolphin Mall Monday.

A man and a woman are facing charges Monday in Miami-Dade County for stealing three pairs of Versace sunglasses valued at $1,035 by removing the antishoplifting devices.

There has been a recent increase in firearm and ammunition smuggling from the United States to Haiti, federal officials reported on Wednesday during a news conference in Miami-Dade County.

A 14-year-old girl pepper sprayed a Dolphin Mall store employee in the face after she and two adults snatched about $550 worth of items, police said.

Police now have a photo of the woman who stole a car with a baby inside, then left the child and took off.

9-month-old baby found safe inside stolen vehicle.

Surveillance video shows a man recently attacking a Florida International University student at The One at University City, a student housing building in Sweetwater.

In the debate over abortion rights, one rare agreement is generally over the right to abort in cases where a woman got pregnant in sex crimes like rape, incest, trafficking or by coercion.

The Florida Highway Patrol posted video overnight showing how they were able to stop a car with burglary suspects on Florida’s Turnpike.

Detectives are still investigating Friday’s fatal police-involved shooting in Doral.

In a situation where seconds count, two Sweetwater police officers sprang into action to save a choking 16-month-old, and it was all caught on camera.

Two men, including the brother of an NFL player, were both booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Wednesday and appeared in front of a Miami-Dade County judge on Thursday to face charges for a murder that happened more than four years ago in Sweetwater.

Two men have been arrested and face first-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Florida International University honor student and freelance photographer Michael Zaldua.

According to Sweetwater PD, a motorman was working an off-duty escort when the accident occurred.

A child dies from being left in a hot car every ten seconds in the United States.With the summer months already upon us, the Department of Children and Families is taking the time to remind all parents to be cautious and vigilant to make sure their children don’t become a statistic.

The victim was shot five times in the legs, feet and buttocks, but he is in stable condition after being rushed to Kendall Regional Medical Center.

Sweetwater police say that just after 3 p.m., the victim pulled over the pickup truck he was driving around the area of Southwest 108th Avenue and 5th Street. He stepped out and was shot “in the lower extremities.”

A 42-year-old man was arrested Monday on accusations that he peered through the crack of a bathroom stall inside Dolphin Mall as another man was sitting on the toilet, authorities said.

A 28-year-old Miami man was arrested after allegations that he exposed himself to a 14-year-old boy in a bathroom at the Dolphin Mall.

For the first time since the pandemic, FIU is hosting an in-person commencement ceremony. In all, six ceremonies will take place over two days.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Two new FEMA-supported satellite COVID-19 vaccine locations opened Thursday in Miami-Dade County. AdThe satellite sites are intended to move around to allow different parts of the community to have access to vaccines. The Miami Dade College North Campus site (11380 NW 27th Ave.) will remain open as the main FEMA-supported hub in South Florida. The FEMA sites are among the locations that are vaccinating Floridians under 65 who are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. AdMore CVS vaccine locations comingIn other vaccine news, Gov.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Federal and state officials said a new vaccination site is ready to open at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, just after Gov. “It just shows the strength of America.”U.S. Army soldiers fill syringes with COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday at a new government vaccination center in Miami-Dade County. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Vincent Carey receives his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine on Tuesday at the new vaccination center at Miami Dade College. The state agencies involved include the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County. For more information about how to pre-register for a vaccine in Florida, visit the state’s page or call any of these three Miami-Dade County lines: 1-888-499-0840, 1-888-256-8918, or 1-833-540-2065.

Caught on camera, a man is seen climbing up along the side of the giant fish tank at Bass Pro Shops before jumping in and making a big splash. Bass Pro Shops told Local 10 that the stunt was to draw attention saying that “we are deeply concerned about attempts to promote and sensationalize incidents of this nature. This incident is illegal, dangerous and highly discouraged. We work with law enforcement to investigate all individuals who personally attempt or are involved with such activities. Bass Pro Shops referred our questions to local law enforcement.

Surveillance image shows man who police say burglarized a Sweetwater police vehicle that was parked in Miami. MIAMI – Miami police detectives are searching for a man who they said was captured on surveillance video running away after breaking into a Sweetwater police vehicle. The incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. Friday in the area of Northwest 35th Avenue and 36th Street. According to authorities, the officer parked his marked patrol vehicle at his home around 11 p.m. Thursday and discovered that it had been broken into around 11 a.m. the next morning. Anyone with information about the thief’s identity is asked to call the Miami Police Department at 305- 603-6030.

“At this moment, I don’t know what’s going to happen with the unity,” Saavebra said referring to the Republican party. Trump supporters like Evelio Medina, the next 100 days he says will be important. They feel like the Republican Party didn’t have Trump’s back and they are ripping up their registration cards. They say they want to leave the Republican Party and start their own. In all the discussions and conversations around South Florida with those who identified themselves as Trump supporters and loyalists, the question was “where do we go from here?” Where does the Republican party go from here?

SWEETWATER, Fla. – A pickup truck plunged into a canal on Wednesday night just outside of Dolphin Mall in Miami-Dade County. Police officers responded to the area of Northwest 12th Street at the Florida Turnpike, according to Detective Lee Cowart, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department. Police officers were searching for survivors after a car plunged into a canal on Wednesday near Dolphin Mall. Officers closed Northwest 12th Street near Dolphin Mall on Tuesday in Sweetwater. Officers blocked Northwest 12th Street after a car plunged into a canal on Wednesday night near Dolphin Mall.

SWEETWATER, Fla. – Former Sweetwater Commissioner Sophia Lacayo has pleaded guilty to perjury following accusations that she lied about where she lived on an official document. According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Lacayo did not actually live within the city limits of Sweetwater when she filed an Affidavit of Residency while running for office. She was elected to the city commission in May 2019. Prosecutors said the landlord at the property off Southwest Seventh Street where Lacayo claimed to live confirmed that she did not actually live there. As a part of her plea, she resigned from the City of Sweetwater Commission and is prohibited from running for public office during the term of her probation.

SWEETWATER, Fla. – A food store owner in Sweetwater has been charged with bribery after allegedly offering to pay off a code enforcement officer in order to have his business license returned, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office announced on Monday. “The Code Enforcement Officer recognized this and thwarted an alleged effort to corrupt the daily business of Sweetwater. The business license had been revoked due to ordinance violations, including having gambling machines in the back of the store, authorities said. Prosecutors said the code enforcement officer had four face-to-face meetings and several phone conversations with Gazawi from April 29 to May 14, during which the store owner provided $5,000 in cash to the code enforcement officer with the promise for more. “We continue to maintain a professional law enforcement agency with representatives that uphold the law and say no to corruption.”

SWEETWATER, Fla. – When you walk through the doors at Dolphin Mall, things will look a little different. And for those inside, social distancing signs serve as a reminder to avoid getting shoulder to shoulder with somebody else. Mall officials say cleaning will be done around the clock, focusing on high-touch, high-traffic surfaces. But managers say it’s for your safety as they work on getting Dolphin Mall back up and running. Miami-Dade shoppers can note that Aventura Mall is set to reopen Thursday at 11 a.m.

More than 1,000 drivers picked up free Farm Share groceries on Monday morning at Dolphin Mall in Miami-Dade County. Florida House Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez, of Doral, was among the dozens of volunteers at the drive-through food distribution event at the city of Sweetwater. Sweetwater Police Department Chief Placido Diaz said many of the drivers started to line up on Monday night. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz has been volunteering at food distribution events for weeks. For more information about how to help sponsor a Farm Share food load, view this page.

SWEETWATER, Fla. – More than 600 cars lined up Monday morning nearly two hours before a food distribution kicked off in Sweetwater. The food giveaway at Vann Academy got started 45 minutes early due to the large crowd. The giveaway is the result of a partnership between Sweetwater Mayor Orlando Lopez, Florida State Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez, Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz and Farm Share. “We’re doing this to be able to alleviate some of the burdens that everyone has in their house right now,” Lopez said. It’s our way to make sure that we give back.”The food distribution ended around 10:40 a.m. when they ran out of food.

Later Monday afternoon, a steady stream of cars flowed into Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School for a student meal distribution. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to loom, the number of people who need food is rising. If the numbers tell the story of need in Miami-Dade County, they’re perhaps most striking at the schools. The week of March 16-20, Miami-Dade County Public Schools distributed 222,518 meals across all its district schools. WHERE TO GO: Miami-Dade County Public Schools student meal distribution sites

SWEETWATER, Fla. – Police have identified a man who was fatally shot over the weekend during a music video shoot in Sweetwater as 50-year-old Barbaro Lara. According to authorities, the music video shoot involved reggaeton artist Y Len. Police said a fight broke out between two men during the shoot and police were called. They said bystanders disarmed Lara, who then went into a nearby home and retrieved a machete. Lara, who relatives said was a husband and father, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

SWEETWATER, Fla. – A man was shot and killed after an apparent argument during a music video shoot in Sweetwater, police said. Custom cars were surrounded with crime scene tape after Sweetwater police said that what was scheduled to be the making of a rap video turned to gunfire. When police arrived, they discovered one man shot. “I notice these customized cars and it was really nice, and then you got these rugged looking men that you see in a rap video,” Avila said. Get out of the car.’”Police placed the suspected shooter in the back of a Sweetwater police cruiser.

SWEETWATER, Fla. – It’s the busiest shopping day of the year, and at Dolphin Mall, that means Sweetwater police have been busy, too. Officers confirmed they arrested four people on Black Friday -- three for shoplifting and one person for inappropriate touching. Body camera footage shows officers approaching a man in the mall. “The subject took off on officers, actually pushing one of our officers out of the way so that he can flee,” Officer Jonathan Arche said. After trying unsuccessfully to find parking at Sawgrass Mills on Friday morning, they regrouped and came to Dolphin Mall, hoping crowds would be minimal after so many got an early start on Thanksgiving.

SWEETWATER, Fla. – Sweetwater police officers are using drones to keep a watchful eye on shoppers at the Dolphin Mall this Thanksgiving weekend. “It’s a major advantage," Officer Jonathan Arche said. "I mean, we’re using it to the full capacity that we can to ensure the safety (of shoppers).”The main purpose of the drones is to look for people waiting in the parking lots for an unsuspecting target as carefree shoppers drop off their hauls. “What they don’t know is that a lot of the times they’re being watched,” Arche said. Police will also have uniformed and undercover officers inside the mall, looking for potential shoplifters.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. - A Sweetwater police officer was injured in a three-vehicle crash Tuesday night. Two other people, including the officer, were injured. The crash took place at Southwest 200th Street and Southwest 134th Avenue. According to police, the officer was in an unmarked cruiser and off duty. The officer and another man suffered minor injuries, police said.

According to authorities, Fernandez's body was found Oct. 11, 2014, after Sweetwater police officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews were called to reports of a fire in the area of Flagler Street and 114th Avenue. Police said Fernandez's body was discovered inside a dumpster once the fire in the rear alley of a strip mall was extinguished. According to an arrest report, Fernandez's body was burned beyond recognition and she was identified through dental records. Police said cellular tower records showed that Botell's and Fernandez's cellphones were pinging from the same tower the day she was reported missing. Police said Botell's statements contradicted witness testimony and the cellular tower records that placed him at the scene.