HOMESTEAD, Fla. – A 24-year-old man was arrested this week on charges of attempted murder and armed burglary after he followed a woman home and then stabbed her in the head, Homestead police said.
The burglary and stabbing were reported shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 3700 block of Northeast 10th Court.
According to the suspect’s arrest report, surveillance video shows that a security guard allowed Jose Armel Saavedra, of Miami, through the main gate of the complex after the victim, who was arriving home after a night out with her girlfriends.
Police said Saavedra wasn’t able to get through a second gate to the woman’s subdivision so he left his vehicle at the gate and forced his way through it.
According to the report, surveillance video from nearby homes show him walking toward the victim’s home.
The victim told police that she placed her purse down on a sofa when she arrived home and turned around to close the front door when she saw Saavedra standing inside her house.
Police said Saavedra began punching the woman on the right side of her face and throughout her body, and stabbed her in the head multiple times.
The victim’s husband, who was sleeping, was awakened by his wife’s screams. Police said he yelled out at Saavedra when he saw him attacking his wife and Saavedra ran out the front door.
According to the arrest report, a detective recognized Saavedra in the surveillance video as a person who he had previously purchased sneakers from on OfferUp.
Detectives then went to Saavedra’s home and his mother identified her son in the surveillance video, authorities said.
Police said Saavedra denied that he was the person seen in the video and denied being in the city of Homestead when the attack occurred.
As of Friday, Saavedra was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
“Mr. Saavedra has pleaded not guilty, and looks forward to defending his case in court,” his attorney, Carter Hillstrom, told Local 10 News in an email.