HIALEAH, Fla. – A Hialeah man tried to steal an SUV while its owner was inside paying for gas, police said. They said his attempt was unsuccessful, so he took off in someone else’s sedan — while its owner was fast asleep in the passenger’s seat.
Hialeah police said the suspect, Jose Oliva, committed an armed carjacking in the city less than two weeks prior. Police took the 46-year-old, who’s had multiple stints in state prison for violent and non-violent offenses, into custody on Monday.
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According to an arrest report from the Hialeah Police Department, the first incident happened on the afternoon of April 18.
Police said Oliva had stolen a man’s truck in Hialeah Gardens and a friend of the victim spotted it at the Exxon at 1365 W. 49th St. at around 2:30 p.m.
“The victim attempted to block in the vehicle and call police to recover his truck when (Oliva) quickly occupied the stolen vehicle and attempted to flee the scene,” police wrote in the report. “The victim followed (him) as he was attempting to drive away and lose the victim in traffic.”
When Oliva got stuck in traffic at West 16th Avenue and 60th Street, the victim got out of the vehicle he was driving and walked up to the door, police said.
The report states that Oliva then pulled out a gun, pointed it at the man and fled.
On Monday, just before 1:30 a.m., Oliva tried to steal a man’s 2024 Honda Pilot at the Victoria gas station at 385 Hialeah Drive, according to police.
The victim, police said, had left the SUV running and unlocked and went inside to pay for gas; Oliva then jumped in.
Police said the man “immediately ran outside and confronted” Oliva, “who was already sitting inside of his vehicle attempting to drive off.”
The report states the victim grabbed Oliva, pulled him out of the SUV and the two fought, during which, Oliva pulled out a gun and pointed it at the victim.
The victim, “in fear for his life,” backed off and went to the rear of the SUV in hopes that Oliva would leave, it states.
Police said Oliva didn’t leave and instead tried to get in the Honda again and the two fought once again.
Oliva then walked away and got into a Chevrolet Malibu parked at the gas station, police said. Its owner was inside sleeping in the passenger’s seat, according to police.
With the still-slumbering owner inside, Oliva took off, the report states.
That owner would later return to the gas station and tell police that Oliva drove to the Star Motel at 1651 W. Okeechobee Road and ran off, police said.
According to the report, that’s where officers would locate and arrest Oliva at around 7 p.m.; he declined to speak to detectives.
As of Monday, Oliva was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on charges of armed carjacking, grand theft auto and burglary with assault or battery.
The Cuban national is also being held without bond on a host of charges related to separate probation warrants, jail records show. Those include charges of grand theft auto and felon in possession of a firearm.