MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Police arrested a Texas man at the Miami International Airport Wednesday on an attempted murder warrant after they said he shot at a security guard who confronted him about illegally parking at a South Beach apartment building in late October.
Miami Beach police said Dontayvious Roberts, 24, of Houston, fled to Memphis, Tennessee, where he also has connections, after the crime. It’s not clear if officers arrested him after he tried returning to South Florida or if he was extradited from another state.
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Roberts’ arrest warrant states that the shooting happened just before 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 outside the Edwards Apartments, located at 953 Collins Ave.
Police said Roberts and another man, Trenton Tyler Russell, 20, pulled into the parking lot and parked their GMC Yukon there without permission and walked toward Ocean Drive.
The warrant states the pair returned a short time later and the guard confronted Russell about parking without authorization.
The men were standing on the sidewalk of 10th Street when an argument escalated, police said. Detectives said Roberts then ran up to the guard, pulled out a gun, and fired twice, grazing the guard’s polo shirt, before he and Russell ran away.
Someone flagged down an off-duty Opa-locka police officer after the shots rang out and that officer summoned Miami Beach police.
Police said Roberts left the gun in the Yukon and they found a crucial clue that would help them identify him: Russell left his social security card in a green-colored backpack inside the SUV.
Authorities were able to track down Roberts’ Instagram account and were able to use surveillance video and license plate reader data to tie him to the shooting, the warrant states.
Following his arrest Wednesday, Roberts was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. It’s not clear if Russell will face any charges in the case.