MIAMI – A Miami man has won his legal fight against a neighbor who he said had been harassing him and making racist comments toward him.
Alexander Tatum finally got his day in court this past week after Local 10 News first aired his story last May.
“Peace of mind – mentally, (there’s) nothing better than having some recourse to the situation,” he said.
Tatum has been waiting for months to plead his case for a restraining order against his neighbor, Jesus Hiedra.
Local 10 aired a story about some of Tatum’s grievances last year.
He bought his Miami home in 2019 and says the harassment began almost immediately -- a lot of it, caught on camera.
Hiedra is seen in surveillance video spraying something into Tatum’s yard. Tatum is convinced whatever it was, burned one of his dogs.
Tatum’s neighbor has also made multiple calls to Animal Control and the police have responded multiple times to their block.
Other videos show Hiedra flipping the bird, mooning the camera and giving death threats.
The n-word was also thrown out during a squabble over garbage bins.
Furthermore, Tatum obtained video of a laser light being shined in his face from his neighbor’s window.
Before Tatum could make his case in court, his neighbor’s lawyer made a statement on behalf of his client.
“He wants me, for him, to express his apology, or remorsefulness for any ill feelings between the parties,” the attorney said.
The attorney also offered a deal to have no contact with Tatum for the next few months, stop the complaint calls and forego the hearing, altogether.
Hiedra’s lawyer claimed there’d been no “bad behavior” in the past several weeks, and that that would be the case going forward.
But, Tatum was adamant.
“I think we should move forward with the trial,” he told the judge.
The court considered all the evidence along with testimony from Tatum and his neighbor.
“Issues between neighbors don’t rise to the level of stalking because, generally, there’s a legitimate purpose associated with the conflict,” he said.
Nearly three hours later, the judge was ready to rule.
“That legitimate purpose, essentially, becomes obviated because the conduct rises to the level that is beyond what is reasonable,” the judge said. “I believe that the petitioner has met his burden here today.”
“I was able to articulate my case, and I won,” Tatum said.
Hiedra was ordered to have zero contact with his neighbor for the next three years and to stay 500 feet from Tatum at all times, aside from going in and out of his house.
“It’s three years that will give him a point where he has to stop and think,” Tatum said.
“If you go outside to your car, and you see him, you look away -- you don’t say anything,” the judge told Hiedra.
Neither Hiedra, or his lawyers had anything to say to Local 10 once the order was officially served.
“I didn’t get it for a lifetime, but I think the three years serves the purpose that I need to obtain my peace,” Tatum said.
The order also states that Hiedra can’t post about Tatum online.
The judge says violating the order could land Hiedra in jail and he could be kicked out of his home.