HIALEAH, Fla. – A family is seeking justice just days after Hialeah police said a man shot his 17-year-old neighbor following an argument over a parking space.
According to the suspect’s arrest report, Justo Jorge Arrate Rodriguez, 66, and Jose Humberto Carrazana got into an argument Tuesday night over Arrate Rodriguez allegedly disrespecting the teen’s sister.
Police said the two also argued about vehicles being parked on the grass in the 5100 block of East Eighth Lane, which Arrate Rodriguez previously argued about with the victim’s father.
Local 10 News spoke with both of the victim’s sisters who said Carrazana is lucky to be alive and this isn’t the first time Arrata Rodriguez has been seen outside with a gun while in the neighborhood.
“He would always come outside with his gun for no reason,” said Carrazana’s sister, who asked to remain unidentified.
“He’s always been super anti-social,” his other sister told Local 10 News.
According to the arrest report, Arrate Rodriguez pulled out a semi-automatic gun and shot the victim in the chest and arm when he saw a car on the swale in front of his house.
One of the victim’s two sisters told Local 10 News that she ran over to help her brother and Arrate Rodriguez pointed the gun at her in a threatening manner, causing her to seek cover behind a vehicle.
“I went up to the guy and I’m like, it doesn’t belong to you, they belong to the city,” she said. “What’s going on and what’s your problem?”
“He started shooting,” Carrazana’s sister added. “Once he goes to me, I start asking for help and then he hid under the tree and started stating that he was gonna shoot everyone else.”
Police said officers responded to the scene around 7:15 p.m. and spotted Arrate Rodriguez still holding the gun.
Carrazana’s other sister said she raced him to Hialeah Hospital before he was eventually airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.
Arrate Rodriguez was arrested and taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he was booked on charges of second-degree attempted murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
While in court Thursday, Carrazana’s grandmother, Antonia Ayllon, asked the judge to hold the shooter without bond and give him a “maximum” sentence for the crime.
“I don’t want him (Arrate Rodriguez) to get out,” said Carrazana’s sister. “My brother didn’t deserve that.
Ayllon told Local 10 News that Carrazana is conscious but is in a lot of pain and it remains unclear how long he will remain hospitalized following the incident.
As of Thursday, Arrate Rodriguez remained held at TGK without bond. His next court date is set for Feb.5.