MIAMI – The man convicted of fatally shooting a cyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway in 2019 was sentenced to life in prison Thursday.
Kadel Piedrahita, 46, was found guilty last month of second-degree murder for the shooting death of cyclist Alexis Palencia, 48, and guilty of aggravated assault with a firearm on a second cyclist named Cesar Sosa.
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The state alleged Piedrahita killed Palencia in cold blood back in 2019 on the Rickenbacker Causeway, saying that he was fueled by hatred displayed first in a Facebook livestream posted prior to the shooting.
Piedrahita alleged he was defending himself from attacks by Sosa and Palencia, and that Sosa gave Palencia a weapon.
A judge said Piedrahita will have 30 days to appeal the ruling.
After the guilty verdict, Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle released the following statement:
“The 2019 fatal shooting of bicyclist Alexis Palencia on the Rickenbacker Causeway appalled our entire community and particularly shocked members of Miami-Dade’s tight-knit bicycling community. Despite Kadel Piedrahita’s claim that he shot in self-defense, the jury decided otherwise. They weighed all the evidence, heard all the testimony, and decided that Piedrahita was indeed guilty of 2nd degree murder.
“I applaud the talented prosecutorial team of Assistant State Attorneys Arvind Singh and Conor Soper for effectively bringing forth the important case elements that drove Piedrahita to commit this senseless act of violence.
“I hope that the family of Alexis Palencia has gained some sense of justice with this verdict knowing that nothing can replace the senseless loss of a loved family member.”