Too bad they didn't make the Darwin Nominee
list. A tip o' the derby to the "burly" homeowner. Hope he kicked the crap out of 'em.
http://www.herald.com/content/today/news/dade/digdocs/053701.htm
Homeowner shoots assailants
BY SANDRA MARQUEZ GARCIA
smarquez@herald.com
A West Kendall homeowner wounded and captured two burglars with their own guns Friday after they stormed into his home posing as Drug Enforcement Administration agents. A third suspect escaped on foot.
Dressed in police-style raid jackets and flashing badges, the two men and a woman knocked at the door of a peach-colored home in the tranquil Hammocks subdivision shortly after noon and demanded that the occupants open the door.
Once inside, the phony agents tied and gagged a woman and her 24-year-old daughter with duct tape. But their home invasion attempt was bungled because they failed to lock handcuffs they put on the burly man inside the house, police said.
The homeowner, whom police refused to identify, broke free and wrestled two handguns -- a .38 Smith and Wesson and a 9mm semiautomatic -- from his attackers.
Miami-Dade Police called to the home discovered a strange scene: the defiant homeowner, guns cocked, keeping watch on two of his attackers who were curled on the floor in a pool of their own blood.
Elías Sánchez, 36, -- of 30175 SW 162nd Ave. -- was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he was listed in critical condition with bullet wounds in his thigh and torso.
Zoraida Miranda, 21, -- of 240 W. 10th St., Hialeah, -- was taken to Deering Hospital where she was listed in stable condition with a bullet wound in her buttocks, police said.
The robber who escaped on foot was described as a man in his 20s wearing a striped shirt and jeans. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Detective Pat Brickman, a spokesman for Miami-Dade Police, said home invasion robberies are often directed at drug dealers, business people who stash large sums of cash in their homes, or those with a treasure trove of jewels.
But that did not to appear to be the case at the targeted home -- a four-bedroom, two-bath house -- whose only luxuries were a 32-inch television and an ``old computer,'' Brickman said.
ALARMING ADVENTURE
``If they are drug runners, they are most unsuccessful in their trade,'' he said. ``It's just working-class America. It sounds like wrong house or wrong information.''
For a group of neighborhood children engaged in a game of baseball on a hot summer afternoon, the shooting -- first mistaken for an early round of Fourth of July fireworks -- was both an adventure and a cause of alarm.
``The only thing that worries me is that you can't trust the cops because you can't even know if they are cops,'' said Diana Arenas, 14.
Her brother Antonio Arenas, 15, chimed in: ``We have grandparents, too, and they could do the same thing to them.''
Nelda Fonticiella, a spokeswoman for Miami-Dade Police, said if ever there is reason to believe those posing as law enforcement officers are in fact criminals -- people should not hesitate to call the police and double check.
``When there is any doubt, even if it is a uniformed officer, call and check. We have no problem with that at all,'' she said.
CRIMINAL RECORD
A Florida public records search revealed a criminal record for the two apprehended suspects.
Sánchez was convicted of cocaine possession and sentenced to two days in jail in June 1997. Miranda was arrested on battery charges in January 1998.
Miranda holds a valid Florida security officer and firearms license -- left at the scene along with a set of hand-held walkie-talkie radios and now considered important evidence. A red 1991 Chevrolet Caprice sedan that the trio planned to use for the getaway offers another clue. Police impounded the car, registered to Luis Suarez, 34, of 15325 SW 298th Ter., Homestead.
William King, a 10-year neighborhood resident, said the attempted home invasion -- while a break from the tranquil norm -- did not make him feel any less safe.
``If doesn't matter where you live or how much you paid for your home,'' King said. ``This is America. This can happen anywhere. They can strike anyone.''
Herald Researcher Elisabeth Donovan contributed to this report.
Copyright 2000 Miami Herald
list. A tip o' the derby to the "burly" homeowner. Hope he kicked the crap out of 'em.
http://www.herald.com/content/today/news/dade/digdocs/053701.htm
Homeowner shoots assailants
BY SANDRA MARQUEZ GARCIA
smarquez@herald.com
A West Kendall homeowner wounded and captured two burglars with their own guns Friday after they stormed into his home posing as Drug Enforcement Administration agents. A third suspect escaped on foot.
Dressed in police-style raid jackets and flashing badges, the two men and a woman knocked at the door of a peach-colored home in the tranquil Hammocks subdivision shortly after noon and demanded that the occupants open the door.
Once inside, the phony agents tied and gagged a woman and her 24-year-old daughter with duct tape. But their home invasion attempt was bungled because they failed to lock handcuffs they put on the burly man inside the house, police said.
The homeowner, whom police refused to identify, broke free and wrestled two handguns -- a .38 Smith and Wesson and a 9mm semiautomatic -- from his attackers.
Miami-Dade Police called to the home discovered a strange scene: the defiant homeowner, guns cocked, keeping watch on two of his attackers who were curled on the floor in a pool of their own blood.
Elías Sánchez, 36, -- of 30175 SW 162nd Ave. -- was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he was listed in critical condition with bullet wounds in his thigh and torso.
Zoraida Miranda, 21, -- of 240 W. 10th St., Hialeah, -- was taken to Deering Hospital where she was listed in stable condition with a bullet wound in her buttocks, police said.
The robber who escaped on foot was described as a man in his 20s wearing a striped shirt and jeans. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Detective Pat Brickman, a spokesman for Miami-Dade Police, said home invasion robberies are often directed at drug dealers, business people who stash large sums of cash in their homes, or those with a treasure trove of jewels.
But that did not to appear to be the case at the targeted home -- a four-bedroom, two-bath house -- whose only luxuries were a 32-inch television and an ``old computer,'' Brickman said.
ALARMING ADVENTURE
``If they are drug runners, they are most unsuccessful in their trade,'' he said. ``It's just working-class America. It sounds like wrong house or wrong information.''
For a group of neighborhood children engaged in a game of baseball on a hot summer afternoon, the shooting -- first mistaken for an early round of Fourth of July fireworks -- was both an adventure and a cause of alarm.
``The only thing that worries me is that you can't trust the cops because you can't even know if they are cops,'' said Diana Arenas, 14.
Her brother Antonio Arenas, 15, chimed in: ``We have grandparents, too, and they could do the same thing to them.''
Nelda Fonticiella, a spokeswoman for Miami-Dade Police, said if ever there is reason to believe those posing as law enforcement officers are in fact criminals -- people should not hesitate to call the police and double check.
``When there is any doubt, even if it is a uniformed officer, call and check. We have no problem with that at all,'' she said.
CRIMINAL RECORD
A Florida public records search revealed a criminal record for the two apprehended suspects.
Sánchez was convicted of cocaine possession and sentenced to two days in jail in June 1997. Miranda was arrested on battery charges in January 1998.
Miranda holds a valid Florida security officer and firearms license -- left at the scene along with a set of hand-held walkie-talkie radios and now considered important evidence. A red 1991 Chevrolet Caprice sedan that the trio planned to use for the getaway offers another clue. Police impounded the car, registered to Luis Suarez, 34, of 15325 SW 298th Ter., Homestead.
William King, a 10-year neighborhood resident, said the attempted home invasion -- while a break from the tranquil norm -- did not make him feel any less safe.
``If doesn't matter where you live or how much you paid for your home,'' King said. ``This is America. This can happen anywhere. They can strike anyone.''
Herald Researcher Elisabeth Donovan contributed to this report.
Copyright 2000 Miami Herald