MIAMI – A tenant of a Little Havana apartment building is accused of taking out his anger over a rent increase by stabbing the building’s manager twice Wednesday, according to Miami police.
Reinaldo Cuni-Garcia, 75, faced a Miami-Dade judge Thursday on charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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According to an arrest report obtained by Local 10 News, Miami police officers responded to the apartment building, at 226 SW 5th Ave., just before 9 p.m. after receiving reports of a stabbing.
The victim told police that he and Cuni-Garcia got into an argument Tuesday after the building’s owner increased his rent, the report states.
Police said the next day, the victim was cleaning the second-floor bathroom when he noticed Cuni-Garcia coming towards him carrying a white bag.
According to the report, Cuni-Garcia took a knife out of the bag and attempted to stab him in the chest.
The victim told police he raised his left arm to protect his body and sustained two stab wounds to his arm.
Police said the victim was able to grab the knife, which broke in two.
Officers wrote that Cuni-Garcia went to his apartment, grabbed a second knife and again approached the victim, saying “I’m going to finish what I started.”
Police said the victim ran to the management office, locked himself in, and called 911.
The victim told police that Cuni-Garcia tried to break in the office as he was calling for help. Police wrote that he insulted the victim, said he was going to “kill” him and repeated that he was going to finish what he started.
The victim met police in front of the building and provided a description of Cuni-Garcia, according to the report.
Officers wrote that they found the suspect hiding behind a motor scooter that was covered in a blanket behind a nearby building and arrested him.
Police said surveillance footage of the incident was consistent with the victim’s account.
Detectives interviewed Cuni-Garcia, who told them that he told the owner and the victim that he “could not pay his rent anymore,” the report states.
Cuni-Garcia told detectives that “the victim told him that he could leave, insulted him and started making fun of him,” investigators wrote.
Police said Cuni-Garcia made an admission to detectives, which officials redacted from the arrest report.
A judge found probable cause to charge the suspect with attempted first-degree murder and ordered he be held without bond Thursday. He faced a $5,000 bond on the aggravated assault charge.
Cuni-Garcia was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Thursday afternoon.