HIALEAH, Fla. – A 38-year-old man was arrested Friday, the same day he and an accomplice set a Hialeah barbershop on fire, Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis announced Monday in a news release.
Miguel Reyes Jr., of Hialeah, faces charges of burglary, arson and throwing a destructive device.
Recommended Videos
According to his arrest report, Reyes and another man were captured on surveillance video approaching the barbershop at 60 W. 49th St. early that morning, shattering the front glass windows with a pipe wrench, and throwing two ignited objects into the business.
Hialeah firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the flames.
According to the arrest report, the building sustained more than $100,000 in damages.
Police said the owner of the barbershop immediately identified Reyes as a former employee of his business.
The other man seen in the video was identified by the owner as “Alberto,” however his last name was not confirmed in the police report and authorities confirmed Monday that he remains at large.
Police said they detained Reyes after spotting his Cadillac Escalade in the area of West First Avenue and 50th Street on Friday.
According to the report, he invoked his rights not to speak with detectives and was transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
A motive for the arson was not stated in the arrest report.
“Arson is a serious and malicious crime that we will not tolerate in Florida. As someone who spent my life in the restaurant industry, I understand how hard it is to build, maintain, and protect a small business, and when Florida small business owners’ livelihoods are in destroyed by thugs, I want to do everything I can as Florida’s CFO and State Fire Marshal to hold those criminals accountable,” Patronis said in a statement. “Huge thanks to the firefighters with the Hialeah Fire Department and to my Detectives with the Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations for all your hard work and effort in keeping our state and our communities safe.”
If convicted, Reyes faces up to 30 years in prison.
Anyone with information about Alberto’s whereabouts is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.