HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - Police are searching for the gunman responsible for a shooting at a shopping plaza in Hialeah that sent a man to the hospital in critical condition.
A significant police presence was seen at the Sunrise Plaza, located at the intersection of Palm Avenue and West 12th Street, Friday morning.
Witness Judy Rodriguez said she saw a man on the ground covered in blood while she was taking a morning walk.
“I get close, and I see the body, like bleeding, and I just run to the gas station. I was so scared. I say, ‘Please give me the phone. I need you to call 911,'” she said.
Another witness said his wife heard gunshots at around 3 a.m.
The owner of a jewelry store in the plaza told 7News that his surveillance video clearly shows what happened.
He said at around 1:30 a.m., he saw a man walking up to the victim, who was using the restroom in public. Then, the man fired four shots at the victim. Two shots were fired into the victim’s head.
The owner said he recognized the subject as somebody who lives nearby.
Video footage showed the victim being pulled out of an ambulance as he was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center.
Hialeah Police officers were seen searching the plaza, focusing their attention in front of the jewelry store and a dentist’s office, where a black bag with blood on it was found at the business’s entrance.
Speaking through a translator, Yoan Garriga said he knew the victim as Dagoberto, a friend who, like him, has been living on the street.
“He’s a person that is a good human, very poor, but very rich spiritually,” Garriga said.
Garriga shared video with 7News of the two of them. He said he has no idea why someone would shoot his friend.
“I don’t know, I don’t understand why this happened,” he said. “Dagoberto, he didn’t deserve that.”
Garriga also said he saw the surveillance video of the shooting.
“An official showed me the photo,” he said. “The man who did this, I’ve never seen him before. I don’t understand the reason, it was stupid.”
Details remained limited Friday night, as police continue their investigation.
If you have any information on this shooting or the subject’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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