MIAMI – A man who fatally shot a bicyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami has been arrested, his attorney told Local 10 News.
Sabino Jauregui, the attorney for Kadel Piedrahita, said his client was taken into custody Friday.
Miami police confirmed Piedrahita has been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm in the death of Alex Palencia.
Jauregui said his client shot Palencia in self-defense.
"He rides his motorcycle next to us, he protects us from other cars, he tries to make sure that other cars don't swerve into our lane while riding," Jauregui said.
Miami police said Palencia was on his bicycle with a group of other riders when Piedrahita, who was on a motorcycle, confronted him.
Video shared on social media shows Palencia raise his hand as Piedrahita rides up to the group, and the two argue before the motorcycle hits the ground.
The next thing that happens is unclear. There's some sort of scuffle, and then Piedrahita shoots Palencia.
"This is another senseless shooting and in, of all places, on our beautiful Rickenbacker Causeway, where an enjoyable early morning bike ride turned into something so tragic," Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. "This gun violence will not be tolerated."
According to an arrest affidavit, witnesses told detectives they have known Piedrahita for years through their cycling group and identified him as the person in the video who shot Palencia.
The report stated that Piedrahita shot Palencia once in the stomach before walking toward another man while screaming profanities at him.
Police said the surviving victim was in fear for his life and ran from Piedrahita.
"I have seen the video images of this incident and I am extremely bothered by the images I saw," Rundle said.
There is also video circulating on social media that shows Piedrahita ranting wildly about Palencia, even threatening to kill him.
The video was posted two days before the shooting.
According to the arrest affidavit, Piedrahita invoked his right to remain silent after he was taken into custody.