HIALEAH, Fla. – A second man is behind bars after Hialeah police say a Santeria ritual led to a deadly dispute earlier this month.
Yasmany Matos Gonzalez, 35, is facing one count of second-degree murder in connection with the Feb. 12 incident inside a home off West 10th Court, near 41st Place., according to jail records obtained by Local 10 News Wednesday.
An arrest report states that 50-year-old Milton Cao, Gonzalez’s co-defendant who is also facing a second-degree murder charge, was at the home for a Santeria ritual when an argument broke out.
Police say Cao, Matos Gonzalez, and the victim stepped outside, where surveillance video shows Matos Gonzalez retrieving an object from his waistband before shooting the victim multiple times.
The victim, identified only as “Nodar” in the report, then ran inside, grabbed a knife, and stabbed Matos Gonzalez in the head.
As Nodar attempted to leave, police say Cao shot him multiple times, killing him.
Matos Gonzalez’s 16-year-old son was also present and was injured while trying to protect his father, authorities said.
“When I looked over here, there was a body here laying down. I couldn’t see who the person was,” said neighbor Jose Gonzalez.
Cao told police he had no memory of the shooting and denied firing a weapon, according to investigators.
Matos Gonzalez remains at Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment of his stab wounds and was unable to appear in bond court Wednesday.
Records show Cao remains at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he is being held without bond and is set to be arraigned on the first week of March.
