Vega, who had made a name for himself customizing luxury cars for sports and music celebrities, told police investigators that he believed his former business-partner-turned-rival Rolando “Roly” Ramirez was behind the 2019 attack. At the start of Ramirez’s murder-for-hire conspiracy trial in Miami federal court, a prosecutor told jurors on Wednesday that there had been a raging feud between the two men for more than a decade after a falling out over money and customers that led to a lawsuit and settlement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie Waxman said Ramirez repeatedly threatened Vega with the words “in due time,” implying that one day he would take his revenge. In her opening statement, she told jurors that Ramirez plotted with a close Miami friend and a New York marijuana dealer to kill Vega and that the payoff for the hit would involve erasing a drug debt. Ramirez’s defense attorney countered that the prosecution’s case was a “mistake.” “Roly Ramirez got arrested for something he did not do,” lawyer Eric Schwartzreich told the 12-member jury. “He had no motive to do this.” He argued that that Vega initially told police that as many as nine people — not just Ramirez — had issues with him and might have been involved in the attempt on his life. “The government twisted this case,” he said. Ramirez, the former owner of Exclusive Motoring Worldwide in Doral, is facing trial with his close friend, Rasheed “Fresh” Ali, 38, a former University of Miami football player from Pinecrest. Both are charged with conspiracy, murder for hire, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, interstate stalking, firearm offenses and witness tampering. If convicted, each faces up to life in prison. The third defendant is Ali’s friend, Tamrat “Shifta” Mason, a California music producer and recording artist. He is only charged with witness tampering. Before trial, U.S. District Judge Roy Altman dismissed an obstruction of justice charge against all three for lack of evidence. At the start of trial on Wednesday, Ali’s defense lawyer, Richard Merlino, chose not to give an opening statement. Mason’s defense attorney, Dustin Tischler, questioned why Mason was even charged in the case, saying he had voluntarily talked for hours with the FBI during the course of the investigation. “Why would he tamper with something he had nothing to do with?” Tischler told jurors. “It’s completely innocent behavior.” The indictment accuses Ramirez and Ali of recruiting two men to carry out the hit on Vega: Jaime Serrano, the New York marijuana dealer, and Julian Jimenez, the son of a sound engineer who worked for pop star Marc Anthony, who was one of Vega’s customers. Subscribe to our free News Alerts newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. Serrano and Jimenez flew from New York to Miami on an American Airlines flight on Aug. 21, 2019, rented a blue Nissan Rogue and stalked Vega, according to court records. Six days later, in the early evening of Aug. 27, Serrano drove Jimenez in the Nissan to Vega’s Kendale Lakes home. Jimenez, wearing a surgical mask and gloves and carrying a gun that Serrano gave to him after they had arrived in Miami, got out of the front passenger seat, approached Vega in his car in the driveway and started shooting, according to a statement filed with Jimenez’s plea deal. He fired eight shots, including three that struck Vega. A witness told FBI agents the men were offered $60,000 to carry out the hit, though that has never been confirmed, Jimenez’s attorney, federal public defender Abigail Becker, said at his sentencing. Jimenez pleaded guilty to his part in the murder attempt and was sentenced by Judge Altman to 35 years in prison. He’s the son of Marcos Jimenez — Anthony’s sound engineer and occasional property manager, according to court documents Serrano, who was convicted at trial of arranging the shooting and the trip from New York to South Florida to carry it out, was sentenced by Altman to 50 years in prison. A jury determined Serrano was not the shooter, but played an important part in planning the operation — including buying the airline tickets from New York to Miami, renting cars in Florida, and obtaining the .40 caliber handgun that Jimenez used to shoot Vega. Serrano was also the getaway driver. Both Serrano and Jimenez, seeking to shave time off their long prison terms, are expected to testify for the prosecution at the trial of Ramirez, Ali and Mason. On Wednesday, Waxman, the prosecutor, told jurors that Serrano did marijuana deals with Ali and owed him money. She said it was Ramirez’s idea to have Serrano pay off that debt to his friend Ali by carrying out the hit on Vega. Ramirez’s plan was to “have Alex Vega killed in exchange for erasing Serrano’s drug debt,” said Waxman, who is handling the case with fellow prosecutor Michael Gilfarb. Waxman also told jurors that while Ramirez and Ali have been held without bond at a federal lock-up in Miami, they plotted to kill Serrano because he was going to testify against them. She also said Mason paid “hush money” to Serrano while he was in custody so he wouldn’t testify against Ramirez and Ali — hence, the witness-tampering charge. But on Wednesday, Ramirez’s lawyer attacked the credibility of Serrano. “Serrano is their star witness, but you’re not going to be able to believe one word he says,” Schwartzreich told jurors. Vega, the owner of The Auto Firm, is also scheduled to testify. His Kendall business has designed sports-car renovations for many celebrities, including Grammy-winning singer Anthony, rapper Rick Ross and Jamaican Olympic gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt, to name a few. Vega was also featured in a 2017 reality TV series called “The Auto Firm with Alex Vega.” FBI special agent Ryan Dreibelbis is also expected to testify. Last year at a detention hearing, he said that although there may be several suspects in the Vega shooting, Ramirez was the only one who had a relationship with the getaway driver, Serrano. The agent said a witness told the FBI that “Mr. Ramirez hated the victim and called the victim nasty names,” and that after the shooting, Ramirez “talked about Vega’s clients being up for grabs.” KENDALL – With the last full-size Kmart set to close its doors next month the Kmart in Kendall will be the last store in the mainland United States According to CNN the last standing full-sized mainland store in Bridgehampton This would make the Kendall store, now a smaller scale version of the previous store in the same plaza located at 14091 SW 88 St. at the Kendale Lakes Plaza the only one shoppers can visit in the mainland United States Kmart has stores in Guam and the US Virgin Islands The Kendale Lakes Plaza store downsized in March 2023 revealing a smaller store in the garden area next to the previous retail space Décor giant, At Home changes in shopping habits and the looming shadow of Walmart which coincidentally began its life within months of Kmart’s founding in 1962 Struggling to compete with Walmart’s low prices and Target’s trendier offerings Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2002 — becoming the largest U.S Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved Veronica Crespo writes for Local10.com and also oversees the Español section of the website she graduated from the University of Miami where she studied broadcast journalism and Spanish TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Closed Captioning / Audio Description Contact Us Careers at WPLG Terms of Use Privacy Policy Public File FCC Applications EEO Report Do Not Sell My Info 1.0 Host Exhibit Copyright © 2025 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC. The last full-sized Kmart in the country is shutting its doors this month which will make the Kendall location officially the last Kmart store in existence but Miami has one of the two remaining Kmart locations in the mainland United States considered to be the only remaining full-sized store New York and is set to close on October 20th Kmart was the store of choice for American shoppers as the retail giant sold just about anything you could ever need the company had around 2,500 locations before it began to falter in the early 2000s It wound up exiting bankruptcy in 2003 and shuttering several stores but would once again file for bankruptcy in 2018 before being sold to Transformco While many Kmart locations have dwindled throughout the years — with the exception of a couple of stores in Guam and the U.S Virgin Islands — the Miami location at Kendale Lakes Plaza isn’t ready to say goodbye just yet A leasing representative at Kimco Reality told the newspaper that Kmart has a “long-term lease” on the location in Kendale Lakes. You can visit it at 14091 SW 88th St suite 200, Miami, FL 33186. By won a grand prize of $5 million by playing the Gold Rush Limited scratch-off from the Florida Lottery Wrigley claimed his prize at the headquarters of the Lottery in Tallahassee and opted for a lump sum payment of $3.96 million for his winnings The winning ticket was purchased at Dollar Plus a store located at 13045 Southwest 88th St. the establishment will receive an additional commission of $10,000 This popular scratch-off offers 32 major prizes of $5 million as well as over 33,000 prizes ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 The odds of winning any prize in this game are approximately 1 in 2.65 Scratch-off tickets account for approximately 74% of Florida Lottery sales and contribute significantly to the state's Educational Enhancement Trust Fund This means that a substantial portion of revenues from games like Gold Rush Limited is allocated to support public education in Florida Nathaniel Wrigley won a jackpot of 5 million dollars by playing the Gold Rush Limited scratch-off from the Florida Lottery He chose a one-time payment of 3.96 million dollars for his winnings The Gold Rush Limited is a scratch-off game launched in September 2021 It offers 32 grand prizes of 5 million dollars and more than 33,000 prizes ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 dollars The odds of winning any prize in this game is approximately 1 in 2.65 Scratch-off tickets account for approximately 74% of Florida Lottery sales and significantly contribute to the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund This means that a substantial portion of the revenue from games like Gold Rush Limited is allocated to support public education in Florida The stores that sell winning tickets receive a commission from the Florida Lottery Dollar Plus received $10,000 for selling the winning ticket of Nathaniel Wrigley This incentive encourages merchants to participate in the sale of lottery tickets A team of journalists committed to reporting on Cuban current affairs and topics of global interest we work to deliver truthful news and critical analysis – The last full-size Kmart has closed its doors leaving the Kmart in Kendall as the last store in the mainland United States The last full-sized mainland store in Bridgehampton This means the Kendall store, now a smaller scale version of the previous store in the same plaza located at 14091 SW 88 St. at the Kendale Lakes Plaza is the only one shoppers can visit in the mainland United States Décor giant, At Home Leer en español Here is the list of locations for early voting and vote-by-mail drop boxes that open every day from 7 a.m Search this database online to look up voter information When is the deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot The deadline in Florida is Oct. 24, 2024. Ballots requested for delivery within 10 days of the election additionally require a special emergency affidavit. Here is the Statewide Vote-by-Mail Request Form What is the deadline to return a vote-by-mail ballot The Supervisor of Elections in the county of residence. Search this database to find the supervisor in your area. MIAMI GARDENS – Sunday was the last day of early voting at any of the 32 designated locations in Miami-Dade County According to the Supervisor of Elections Christina White, the county has nearly 1.54 million active eligible voters and over 856,000 had voted early as of Sunday night The precinct at the North Dade Regional Library had one of the longest lines Sunday. Election Day Tuesday requires voters to cast their ballots at an assigned precinct Here is the list of locations for early voting and vote-by-mail drop boxes that open until 7 p.m. Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida Andrea Torres KENDALE LAKES – Police officers responded to a white house with a ruby red door and inside they found four people dead on Sunday in a quiet area of Miami-Dade County’s Kendale Lakes neighborhood a spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department the police officers found a woman dead in one of the bedrooms “They responded here for a welfare check on a hospice patient,” Rodriguez said The man who died alone had a firearm lying near him and appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound “The preliminary information revealed all four decedents resided in the same residence,” Rodriguez said Detectives have not released the identities of the victims According to public voter registration records 62; had reported the address as their residence Police confirmed that the hospice patient was in her 80s and lived at the home with a man who was also in his 80s They said a couple in their 60s also lived at the residence the single-family cluster home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms Mercedes Morato and a man named Enrique Morato purchased it in 1993 The listed owners changed to Mercedes Morato and Jesus Regueira in 2019 The medical examiner’s office responded with several vans “We always stress to the community the importance of mental health. It’s a part of our overall well-being,” Rodriguez said. “Please, if you are in a position where you are not feeling well or need someone to talk to, there are plenty of services within the county.” If you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013 She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – A Miami-Dade man struck it big with a $5 million top prize from the Florida Lottery’s Gold Rush Limited scratch-off game Leer en español claimed his winnings at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee choosing a one-time lump sum payment of $3.96 million Lottery officials confirmed in a news release Tuesday Wrigley bought the lucky ticket at Dollar Plus The store received a $10,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket offers 32 top prizes of $5 million and more than 33,000 prizes ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 The game has overall odds of 1-in-2.65,” the Lottery stated in a news release They said scratch-off tickets make up about 74% of Florida Lottery sales contributing billions to the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG Ryan Mackey MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Police arrested two teenagers Monday in connection with an armed robbery and shooting that they said left a Miami-Dade tattoo artist in critical condition last week. in the Miller Shops of county’s Kendale Lakes area were taking a break at the back of the business when they were ambushed by two armed men on Thursday night Eazy Street Tattoos employee Cesar Sanchez who spoke with Local 10′s Roy Ramos from his hospital bed on Friday said he was shot in the back while being robbed by a former client and another culprit who returned to the shop under the guise of finishing a tattoo session Miami-Dade police identified those men Tuesday as Elijah Young and Nathaniel Sweeting Police said at some point during the tattoo session along with Sanchez and the other store employee went to the back of the business for a smoke break An arrest report states as Sanchez was heading back inside the tattoo shop both Young and Sweeting pulled out guns and pointed them at the victims Authorities said Sanchez did not comply and tried to enter the business for safety but was shot by one of the two suspects Authorities said moments after the shooting occurred both Young and Sweeting “forcibly removed” various pieces of jewelry and car keys from Sanchez before fleeing the scene in his vehicle Police said Sanchez’s co-worker was able to flee the scene without getting hurt “I get told a lot that I wear a lot of jewelry; you have to be careful,” Sanchez told Local 10 News on Friday “I never thought something like this would happen.” Despite his efforts to fend off the attackers Sanchez said he was shot as he ran back into the shop “I took three steps into the tattoo shop and the other guy just shot me,” Sanchez said “I guess he panicked because he didn’t expect me to fight back.” Authorities confirmed Sanchez was rushed to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital for treatment where he was listed in critical then stable condition Detectives discovered that the culprits not only shot Sanchez but also stole valuable items a $20,000 Cuban link chain and two bracelets Police said the other employee was unharmed while Sanchez shared his disbelief with Ramos over the situation “I can’t understand why someone I trusted would do this.” Jail records show both Young and Sweeting are facing one count each of attempted felony murder carjacking during an armed robbery and carrying a concealed firearm without a license The arrest report for Young and Sweeting did not disclose which of them was Sanchez’s client both suspects are without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Roy Ramos joined the Local 10 News team in 2018 Roy is a South Florida native who grew up in Florida City He attended Christopher Columbus High School Homestead Senior High School and graduated from St MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade police are investigating a shooting and robbery at a tattoo shop that left an employee seriously injured in the Miller Shops of Miami-Dade’s Kendale Lakes area “I get told a lot that I wear a lot of jewelry; you have to be careful,” Sanchez said had previously received a tattoo that required multiple sessions “The tattoo I did on him was one of the tattoos that was multiple sessions,” Sanchez said “So I did the words but he didn’t have enough money to get the clouds.” That’s when Sanchez said the client returned to the shop without an appointment his client requested to smoke with him behind the shop Sanchez said the client and an accomplice ambushed him and that is when the guy that I didn’t know put the pistol in my face,” Sanchez said “I guess he panicked because he didn’t expect me to fight back.” Miami-Dade police responded to the scene and said they found Sanchez shot and in critical condition Authorities confirmed he was rushed to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital for treatment “We’re combing through surveillance footage that captured the entire armed robbery,” said Miami-Dade Police Detective Andre Martin on Friday “We have strong leads on the suspects but have yet to make any arrests.” Police are urging anyone with information about the culprits or the stolen vehicle to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Former Miami-Dade Police Department Director Freddy Ramirez made a rare public appearance on Thursday He was joined by his wife to announce his endorsement of Miami-Dade County sheriff candidate James Reyes who has stayed out of the public eye since he shot himself in Hillsborough County last year after an argument with his wife made this appearance to show his support for Miami-Dade sheriff candidate James Reyes Ramirez was considered the frontrunner for the position before dropping out of the race following the 2023 incident officers and Reyes at the Kendale Lakes Branch Library The endorsement was announced while voters participated in early voting “My last 30 years of my life have been devoted to this community and to the Miami-Dade Police Department,” Ramirez said “I can tell you there is no one better suited for this task “Freddy is a beloved member of this community a very well-respected leader in the Miami-Dade Police Department and in law enforcement statewide and nationally.” is running against Republican Rosie Cordero-Stutz the Assistant Director of Investigative Services for Miami-Dade Police who began her career with the department over 30 years ago As the two candidates continue their campaigns leading up to election day voters will ultimately decide who will be the sheriff of Miami-Dade County a position that has not been elected since the 1960s after the recent closure of a New York store The mainland’s last full-sized store closed its doors for good Sunday in Bridgehampton leaving behind only a smaller-scale Kmart in the Kendale Lakes Plaza at 14091 S.W This Miami-area location has operated out of a small, two-room storefront since Kmart gave its Kendall lease to At Home, a Texas-based chain, in 2023, according to the Miami Herald which was relegated to the area of the store that once housed its garden shop Two full-sized Kmart stores remain outside the mainland U.S. — one in Guam, the other in the U.S. Virgin Islands, CBS said The company incorporated in 1899 as S.S. Kresge Corporation. After opening its first Kmart store in Michigan in 1962, the company was renamed and rebranded as Kmart Corporation in 1977, the Miami New Times reported Kmart operated more than 2,400 stores worldwide before struggling to compete with brands like Walmart and Target It filed for bankruptcy in 2002 and merged with Sears in 2005 to form the Sears Holding Company Related: Last Full-Sized Kmart In US, Located In Hamptons, To Close Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. – The battle over 5G coverage is intensifying in a southwest Miami-Dade neighborhood Residents in the Kendale Lakes area are frustrated to find more towers popping up in their communities without warning and some are taking matters into their own hands By the time neighbors realized what the work was for a 32-foot concrete pole sprouted inches from Lissette Monzon’s yard “Nobody let us know that 5G towers were coming into our communities,” Monzon said If you are next to one of the sites where they’re going rented a boom lift and dove into public records I found that they were scouting my house since 2022,” she said it was May 2019 that three telecom companies contracted to install “small cell antennas” to expand 5G on rights of ways around the county describes it as “inconspicuously installed.” “I believe we should be involved in this process,” Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado said local leaders expressed frustration that a new state law stops their or any local control of where the towers go “Our hands have been tied,” Miami-Dade Commissioner Anthony Rodriguez said Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins encouraged residents “to go to every town hall” of every state representative “My concern is for my children and their exposure rate living this close to a 5G tower,” Monzon said Monzon worries about radio frequency danger with signs describing danger at certain heights There are also concerns about property values and birds — but no one’s addressing them Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues She also serves as host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast Former Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez was once the presumptive front-runner in the race for Sheriff but his preferred choice as the county’s first elected top cop in decades is fellow Democrat James Reyes Surrounded by members of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association Ramirez said he was backing Reyes in his “personal capacity.” Ramirez currently serves as a senior adviser to the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) I proudly led the Department for many years I know as the community embraces the transition to a Sheriff’s Office (that) who leads as Sheriff is critical,” Ramirez said outside of the Kendale Lakes Branch Library “Chief Reyes grew up in Miami-Dade and has the experience to get the job done and equally proud to stand alongside him.” a longtime prison warden who spent the bulk of his career with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office has served as Miami-Dade’s Chief of Public Safety since last year In January 2020 then-county Mayor Carlos Giménez He stayed in the job after Democratic Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s election later that year, and in the 2024 election cycle the two shared many of the same campaign staffers. Even before he entered the Sheriff’s race, Levine Cava all but endorsed him “Freddy Ramirez is an outstanding public servant (and) I have great confidence in his ability to lead.” Cordero-Stutz, a nearly 30-year MDPD veteran, carries endorsements from Giménez, Donald Trump, Rick Scott, U.S. Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, 27 current Florida Sheriffs, the Hispanic Police Officers Association and former Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman Both have platforms prioritizing public safety combatting public corruption and improving the county’s technological capabilities in fighting crime Miami-Dade hasn’t had an elected Sheriff since 1966 when county voters eliminated the position after a grand jury report revealed rampant corruption within the agency the Mayor today serves as the de facto Sheriff and has since had an appointed Police Director who reports to them due to a 2018 referendum in which 58% of Miami-Dade voters joined a statewide supermajority in approving a constitutional amendment requiring that the county join Florida’s 66 other counties in having an elected Sheriff by early 2025 Jesse Scheckner has covered South Florida with a focus on Miami-Dade County since 2012. His work has been recognized by the Hearst Foundation, Society of Professional Journalists, Florida Society of News Editors, Florida MMA Awards and Miami New Times. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JesseScheckner This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL © Copyright by Extensive-Enterprises 2025. All rights reserved. STAFF LOGIN Roy Ramos Ryan Mackey – A man was injured during a shooting Thursday night in the back of The Miller Shops in Miami-Dade County in Miami-Dade’s Kendale Lakes area were taking a break at the back of the business when they were ambushed by two armed men One of the Eazy Street Tattoo employees was running away when police said a gunman shot him The injured victim was driven to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital by a bystander Investigators said the second employee did not sustain any injuries and detectives are still investigating whether there is a connection between the victims and culprits While no arrests have been made at this time Miami-Dade Police Detective Andre Martin said police were able to obtain surveillance video from neighboring businesses and have “strong leads” of the culprits involved in the incident Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 Christian De La Rosa joined Local 10 News in April 2017 after spending time as a reporter and anchor in Atlanta – Unionized AT&T workers in South Florida were on strike Monday joining tens of thousands across multiple states in the Southeast Sky 10 was over the strike at the AT&T building off Southwest 56th Street in the Kendale Lakes area of southwest Miami-Dade Monday morning Communications Workers of America workers are protesting what they call “unfair labor practices” by management stemming from ongoing negotiations for a new union contract AT&T denied that the company was breaking any labor laws and expressed a desire to negotiate a new contract “We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since day one and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees.” Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rob Gonzalez has had almost two years to demonstrate his leadership and policymaking skills to voters who will soon choose between him and two opponents seeking his District 11 seat Teachers Bryan Paz-Hernandez and Claudia Rainville intend to derail him he vows to support law enforcement and push back against defund-the-police efforts improve public transportation and guard small businesses from “excessive government regulation.” He’s also promising to make District 11 — a 215,000-resident area spanning the unincorporated west Miami-Dade neighborhoods of Country Walk Bent Tree and Lake of the Meadows — a more self-sufficient area in terms of employment and commercial options Gonzalez has amassed nearly $1 million to defend his seat with big donations coming from real estate interests like Centennial Management Corp. Atlantic Pacific Communities and Fontainebleau Miami Beach Miami-Dade Commissioners Kevin Marino Cabrera and Anthony Rodriguez Miami-Dade School Board members Mary Blanco and a handful of union and advocacy groups But he’s also attracted criticism for leasing a new district office less than six months into his appointed tenure that will cost county taxpayers $1 million over nine years — while still dragging the old office’s lease said Gonzalez’s list of achievements is paltry and evidence that he is more interested in stature than bringing relief to residents who need better transportation options and help making ends meet battling government corruption and blocking overdevelopment of District 11 that leads to traffic congestion He also wants to increase Miami-Dade’s affordable housing inventory Gonzalez supports restarting a currently stalled $1 billion project called the Kendall Parkway to expand a county toll road into Southwest Miami-Dade A former President of the West Kendall Democrats Club Paz-Hernandez recently reregistered as an independent he worked as a social worker and field organizer for former Democratic U.S has managed to gather since she made the District 11 race a three-person contest in early June The 43-year-old Republican has added $5,300 to her campaign coffers An engineer educated in Nicaragua who became a U.S Rainville is running to promote economic growth in the district she’s called home for the past seven years improve the county’s educational offerings provide more mental health services to the community and beautify public parks and recreation areas she also lists improving public safety and supporting first responders among her campaign priorities along with a proposed tax credit program to help retired seniors and veterans she promises to donate 10% of her monthly salary to help needy residents The Miami-Dade Commission is a technically nonpartisan body Paz-Hernandez and Rainville are all on the Aug If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote to win outright the two top vote-getters will compete in a runoff culminating in the Nov Jesse Scheckner has covered South Florida with a focus on Miami-Dade County since 2012. His work has been recognized by the Hearst Foundation, Society of Professional Journalists, Florida Society of News Editors, Florida MMA Awards and Miami New Times. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JesseScheckner – Two fatal crashes prompted southbound closures on the Florida Turnpike on Saturday night and early Sunday morning in Miami-Dade County Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel responded At about 2:15 a.m., Sunday, a fatal two-vehicle crash shut down southbound Turnpike traffic at the Eureka Drive exit in Cutler Bay “The driver and passenger of one of the vehicles were transported to Jackson South Hospital where the passenger later died,” Camacho wrote in a statement Witnesses said they were on their way to Kendall when the traffic congestion extended from the area west of the Florida International University’s main campus on Eighth Street to the area east of HCA Florida Kendall Hospital on Bird Road and lasted for hours “The Turnpike was closed throughout the preliminary investigation and traffic was diverted onto SW 8 ST,” Camacho wrote A white sports utility vehicle and a gray sedan collided first and stopped on the left southbound lane an oncoming pickup truck crashed into the gray sedan — and struck two people who had gotten out of their cars after the first crash one of the occupants that was struck died on scene and the other was transported to Kendall Regional Hospital in critical condition,” Camacho wrote referring to the former name of the now HCA Florida Kendall Hospital The cause of the crashes was under investigation and authorities had yet to release the identities of the two dead Share your photos or videos at Share@Local10.com. For a map with live traffic updates in South Florida, visit this page Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editors Joyce Grace Ortega and Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report The injured officer reported having to draw his own gun and order Miami-Dade Police Department Detective Victor Manuel Montalvo Montalvo later confessed: “I drank too much!” on March 5 in the area of Southwest 72nd Street Local 10 News obtained video that shows Montalvo lying on the ground surrounded by responding officers “Why isn’t that gun secured?” an officer was heard asking Montalvo Montalvo and the officer who was protecting road workers both suffered non-life-threatening injuries Correctional officers booked Montalvo into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center He was facing charges of DUI and DUI with property damage Corrections released him on March 6 through a back door at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and he ran to a sports utility vehicle to avoid answering questions “I am disheartened by the recent incident involving one of my officers who was arrested for driving under the influence Daniels said in a statement that was released on the day after the incident occurred Daniels also said Montalvo’s actions do not reflect the core values of the department “The officer has been relieved of duty and we will continue to work with the State Attorney’s Office throughout the judicial process,” Daniels said For information about how to get help for alcohol or substance abuse, call 1-800-662-4357 or visit this federal government page Associated Press WEST KENDALL – Kmart shoppers in West Kendall are finding their Blue Light Specials at a smaller store The store located at 14091 SW 88 St. at the Kendale Lakes Plaza downsized The store was under construction for several months late last year A store associate told Local 10 News the Kmart is here to stay, just in a smaller space because home décor giant, At Home The number of Kmart stores in the U.S. – once well over 2,000 – is down to just three Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved – An elderly woman waiting in line to order food at a southwest Miami-Dade KFC was knocked to the ground by a slap from a 38-year-old homeless man the incident happened Tuesday at the fried chicken chain’s location at 14081 SW 88th St. in the Kendale Lakes Plaza shopping center Miami-Dade police said surveillance video shows Roberto Cabrera Bosch walking up to the woman and then slapping her in the face The report states that Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics treated the woman whose exact age wasn’t specified in the report Officers searched the area and found Cabrera Bosch in the area of Southwest 137th Avenue and 84th Street Police arrested him on a felony charge of battery on a person 65 or over county police previously arrested Cabrera Bosch on an aggravated battery charge on Sept prosecutors declined to pursue the case and the charges were dropped Cabrera Bosch appeared in court to answer to the latest charge Thursday; a judge granted him a $5,000 bond after finding probable cause to charge him Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist MIAMI – A 60-year-old Kendale Lakes man appeared in court on Tuesday accused of a vehicular homicide that happened over seven months ago in western Miami-Dade County Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested Carlos Oropesa-Jimenez on Monday and accused him of driving “in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons by not paying attention to an approaching hazard.” The troopers also accused Oropesa-Jimenez of “knowingly driving at over 20 mph the posted speed limit sign and driving in the sidewalk to pass other vehicles.” The crash on July 24 was at the intersection of Southwest Eighth Street and 142 Avenue according to the arrest report released on Tuesday Investigators reported Oropesa-Jimenez was driving a gold 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe eastbound on Eighth Street and the victim was in a white 2017 Mercedes Benz GLE 350 traveling northbound on 142 Avenue Oropesa-Jimenez was on Eighth Street’s center lane and the driver of the 2017 Mercedes Benz GLE 350 stopped south of the intersection and blocked the west-east crosswalk Investigators reported Oropesa-Jimenez switched to the right lane behind a black 2022 Hyundai Venue “and then drove onto the eastbound sidewalk to pass” the traffic Oropesa-Jimenez crashed into the left side of the Mercedes Benz GLE 350 his 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe collided with the right side of the 2022 Hyundai Venue according to investigators who found a video of the crash recorded by a nearby driver’s dashcam Investigators met with Oropesa-Jimenez on July 31 who told them he was driving the Chevrolet Tahoe who was switching in and out of lanes in front of him so he switched lanes to avoid hitting the Jeep Oropesa-Jimenez reported that he didn’t remember crashing into the Mercedes Benz and permitted investigators to retrieve the data from his Tahoe The data showed the Tahoe was traveling at 66 mph about 2.5 seconds before the crash in an area with a 45 mph speed limit and the brake “was not engaged,” according to the report A witness reported seeing the Tahoe “moving across all lanes of traffic onto the right sidewalk” and when it “passed him at a high speed” he “thought that the driver .. was having a medical episode,” as he was “swerving again to the right sidewalk and colliding” with the Mercedes Several witnesses told investigators they saw Oropesa-Jimenez “come out of the driver seat.” Investigators asked Oropesa-Jimenez to meet them on Monday in Hialeah and having concluded their investigation they arrested him Annaliese Garcia – Detective Victor Manuel Montalvo crashed the unmarked Miami-Dade Police Department car he was driving into a marked police cruiser while driving drunk The police officer who was injured reported having to draw his side-arm and order Montalvo at gunpoint to drop his department-issued gun after he pulled it out from his waistband on Tuesday in the area of Southwest 72 Street Correctional officers booked Montalvo at about 11:50 p.m. at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Corrections released him on Wednesday through a back door at TGKCC Daniels said in a statement released by Martin “The officer has been relieved of duty and we will continue to work with the State Attorney’s office throughout the judicial process,” Daniels said Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 Local 10 News Photojournalist Tim McFarland and Assignment Desk Editor Wilson Louis contributed to this report Stay informed with regular breaking news alerts KENDALL WEST – Kendall West residents said when they heard a woman screaming Wednesday they knew who she was and who she was yelling at and sometimes police responded to their apartment at the Peppermill Condominium complex officers arrested him for battery on an elderly neighbor who tried to intervene “He pushed me and I fell backward,” the victim said an officer shot Hollis — who was armed with two knives — after he didn’t follow commands according to the Miami-Dade Police Department Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel took Hollis to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital formerly the Kendall Regional Medical Center the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was investigating the police-involved shooting Click here to receive breaking news alerts from Local10.com Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved MIAMI – The mother accused of first-degree murder in the drowning death of her 9-year-old son will be facing the death penalty A Miami-Dade grand jury indicted Patricia Ripley of West Kendall this week and prosecutors said the death penalty will be on the table The 45-year old mother is accused of killing her autistic son Surveillance video captured Ripley pushing her son into a canal behind the Kendall Acres Condominiums at 103rd Avenue and Kendall Drive around 7:30 p.m Witnesses thought the boy had accidentally fallen into the canal and helped pull him out His body was pulled from another canal near the Miccosukee Golf and Country Club on Kendale Lakes Drive about an hour after the first incident Ripley had called police to tell them an elaborate story about her son being abducted after her car was run off the road by two men Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said the mother lied about the kidnapping Detectives found a video showing that the boy had not fallen but that the mother was responsible for Alejandro ending up in the canal Detectives said Ripley admitted to driving to the second location about 8:30 p.m and pushing Alejandro into the pond-like canal where he drowned “He is going to be in a better place,” Ripley said during her confession She remains jailed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correction Center in Miami Copyright 2020 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved – Surveillance videos show how a man defended himself from three armed robbers in February and ended up facing charges himself about two months later in Miami-Dade County The Miami-Dade Police Department released two videos Tuesday showing Christopher Luis on Feb. 13 at a drive-through ATM outside of a BB&T Bank in Kendale Lakes Luis was wearing a black and white “Gun Club” shirt with two large firearm icons He was driving a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck And when he saw the robbers’ reflection on his rearview mirrors “He was entitled to meet their force with firearms with the equal amount of force so he was within his right to stand his ground and use deadly force against the people who were trying to rob him,” said Attorney David Weinstein Detectives identified the armed robbers who tried to ambush Luis as Nimikae Clarke Video shows Davis approached the passenger’s side window and Nimikae was near the driver’s side window was hiding behind a nearby wall that divides the bank from the street Detectives said Clark and D’Angelo shot at Luis and ran away He suffered gunshot wounds to his left bicep and right hand and doctors treated him at the Kendall Regional Medical Center The videos from the bank’s surveillance cameras show Luis returned to the drive-through area about four minutes later after foiling the attempted robbery As he fired the weapon at least 10 more times he was on the phone reporting he was being shot at by assailants Officers found the teenage boy dead and released a flyer on Feb 17 asking the public for information on the fatal shooting The teen had just been reunited with his mother after spending nearly two years in a juvenile correctional facility Luis is facing a charge of aggravated battery with a firearm a judge issued a warrant for his arrest on April 20 Prosecutors cleared him of murder and manslaughter charges and filed the case that remained open on Tuesday according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office are both facing charges of second-degree murder Detectives working on a narcotics investigation on June 14 in Miami-Dade’s Perrine neighborhood ran into Davis who was armed with a stolen black Glock 43X Prosecutors filed a second case against him on June 15 so Davis is also facing two felony charges of illegally carrying a concealed firearm and third-degree grand theft Davis and Clark are both being held without bond Miami Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation records show Clark is not being held in a Miami-Dade facility and Davis is at the Metrowest Detention Center in Doral SEEKING INFORMATION: On 2/13/21, Nimikae Clarke was killed in the area of SW 137 Avenue & SW 88 Street. Anyone with information is urged to contact @CrimeStopper305 at (305) 471-8477 or by dialing **TIPS. pic.twitter.com/TpGkY23kon Arrest warrant in Christopher Luis' case by AndreaTorres on Scribd Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Guadalupe Monarrez and Assignment Desk Manager Alissa Merlo contributed to this report Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved SEEKING INFORMATION: On 2/13/21, Nimikae Clarke was killed in the area of SW 137 Avenue & SW 88 Street. Anyone with information is urged to contact @CrimeStopper305 at (305) 471-8477 or by dialing **TIPS. pic.twitter.com/TpGkY23kon Arrest warrant in Christopher Luis' case by AndreaTorres on Scribd A massive email drive has begun in an effort to flood a U.S Bureau of Indian Affairs office with Kendale Lakes residents’ objections to a tribal trust designation for the Miccosukee Golf and Country Club former president of the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations is circulating wording of two documents to protest an action indicated in a Jan 15 letter sent to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez from Randall Trickey acting director of the Bureau’s Eastern Region in Nashville Because the Bureau acts without a public hearing in the procedure one transmission by the sender simply requests to be added as an “interested party” in the matter and to be advised of all application activities A second prepared message expresses concerns that would “severely impact” the residential neighborhood security and utility concerns as well as potential drainage issues That email also asks Trickey to set a public hearing in the community on a weekday evening at 7 p.m so that concerns could be voiced directly to the acting director Either or both emails are prepared for transmission to Randall.trickey@bia.gov Moss, who spoke directly with Trickey to explain the protest, said it was “rather amazing” that it appeared as if it was “the first time he ever heard this.” For more information, contact Moss by email at milesmoss@gmail.com or telephone at 305-386-1212 Promote your business to the localized audience you want to reach with Miami's Community Newspapers. Call 305.669.7355 or view our Media Kit. But tribe members have to make decisions to buy and own land all the time now even though it goes against their spiritual values His grandfather and great-grandfather were able to live off of the land The Miccosukee Resort & Gaming opened on Indian reservation land in 1999 The tribe purchased a golf course in Southwest Miami-Dade's Kendale Lakes in 2001 to open the Miccosukee Golf and Country Club amenity which they want to turn into reservation land "It gives us more authority," said Cypress who was not involved in the business or legal decisions because that is what we have had to do to survive." By changing the jurisdiction of the golf course they own in Miami-Dade, the 229 acres would no longer be subjected to property taxes, fees or zoning restrictions. The legal process to get jurisdiction over their property, 6401 Kendale Lakes Dr. the 27-hole golf course would be under the same laws that apply to the tribe's 80,857 acres of reservation land The process required the tribe to file a petition to a federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior which will then decide if the land can be transferred into trust for the tribe there has been a back and forth with the federal agency during the last decade Miami-Dade County authorities and the State Attorney's Office have been opposed to the jurisdictional change When local authorities said that the tribe already had enough land The statement was "appalling," said a representative of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs the agency that manages millions of acres of land that the U.S held into trust for Native American tribes The BIA representative also said that "the atrocious history of taking land from Native Americans" was a factor to be considered in their decision The disagreement over whether the tribe already had enough reservation land happened after the BIA approved the tribe's petition July 27 Miami-Dade County appealed and the BIA's decision was vacated July 10 This is why Miami-Dade County residents were surprised to learn this year that the tribe was trying to get jurisdiction of the golf course again And legal experts who have been following the case say the tribe may just get their way LACK OF COOPERATION' Fernandez Rundle listed several cases when Miccosukee police failed to cooperate with law enforcement They included the 1997 drownings of two toddlers, after Kirk Billie stole his ex-girlfriends truck and drove it into a canal in Miami-Dade County with their two sons inside There was also the arrest for trespassing of a Miami-Dade police officer who was serving a subpoena in 2002 and a drunken crash with injuries involving a tribe member in 2008 After the 2009 crash that involved the former chairman's grandson in the death of Tatiana Fury the Miccossukee refused to give them access to evidence This is why FHP is the responding agency for all "serious traffic crashes" on Tamiami Trail Records show the Miccosukees re-filed their petition with the BIA March 12 but Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez wasn't notified until January The State Attorney's Office and the neighboring residents were not notified at all but objected as soon as Miami-Dade County informed them State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle sent an April 21 2015 letter to the BIA saying that she has been concerned about the safety of the residents who live in the surroundings of the Miccosukee's U-shaped golf course since the tribe filed the petition  in 2003 "We remain unable to rely upon the cooperation of the tribe when tribe members are involved in criminal activities and when the Miccosukee Police Department is the investigating agency," Fernandez Rundle said in the letter this week She warned in 2003 that if there was a jurisdictional change there is a danger "that some crimes may not be effectively prosecuted and the rights of some victims may not be completely protected." A Miccosukee police officer said that the tribe's legal department did not authorize the tribe's police department to answer any questions related to the accusations that the State Attorney's Office was making The tribe's attorney Bernardo "Bernie" Roman did not respond to emails or messages left at his office in Miami "We are not authorized to comment," a police officer said Thursday, after Local 10 News made several attempts to give the Miccosukee Police Department an opportunity to respond to the accusations Most of the mid-southeast region of the U.S before they were forced to find refuge in South Florida The tribe has 80,587 acres of trust lands in four counties -- Broward There are 859 acres of tribal land in Miami-Dade The tribal community is on 667 acres on the northern boundary of the Everglades National Park Jan. 16, 2015: U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs notifies Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez March 20,2015: Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez's position April 21, 2015: State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle's position  RECORD: Read all the documents linked on the 2003-2012 timeline Assistant County Attorney Ileana Cruz has warned that if the property's jurisdiction changes "the cost and burdens for the current services will unjustly fall on other property owners within the County despite the tribe's clear ability to pay." Cruz said the tribe didn't have an imminent need to have jurisdiction over the golf course "Tribal members are not engaged in subsistence living -- the truth is quite the opposite -- they are a wealthy tribe that distributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to their members each year," Cruz said "Each tribal member receives at least $120,000 annually from the tribe The tribe can easily afford the taxes on the property." Miccosukee Tribe Chairman Colley Billie and the other four members of the tribe's general council did not confirm if the sum Cruz presented was current Billie said last year during an interview with the National Museum of the American Indian that the tribe had 594 members And aside from the casino operation and the golf course he said their enterprises also included bingo service plazas and tourism at the Miccosukee Indian Village & Airboat Rides business Billie was re-elected in 2013 and follows in the footsteps of his dad, Sonny Billie, who was chairman and a leading medicine man passionate about protecting the Everglades "We’ve always believed that the current government known as the United States of America is built on Indian lands," Billie said during the 2014 interview this is a country built on top of another country." During Miami-Dade County's appeal of the BIA's 2012 decision, there was a legal dilemma about whether the 1934 legislation that allows the federal government to take land into trust for Native American reservations applied to the Miccosukee The tribe, formerly part of the Seminole Tribe, wasn't recognized until 1962 2008: Carcieri v. Salazar 2007: Carcieri vs. Kempthorne 1978: Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe Miles Moss who lives and works in the Kendale Lakes neighborhood said he doesn't like the idea of having a country inside the county He is the former director of the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations He has been in opposition of the change in jurisdiction since 2003 because he  was worried that the 99-year zoning restriction that requires the land to remain a golf course until 2071 could be nullified A rumor that the tribe wanted to replace the golf course for a casino prompted the "Stop Kendale Lakes Casino" campaign which gathered hundreds of petitions asking that the golf course remain under Miami-Dade County jurisdiction "changes to the land use would require 75 percent of the neighbors approval and support from the majority of the commissioners but that could change" if the property is under the jurisdiction of the Miccosukee tribe During the petition process, tribe attorneys said May 8, 2013, that concern over gaming was "without foundation." They claimed they invested $4 million in upgrades to meet Professional Golfers Association of America standards and that building a casino wouldn't be easy, because they are required to follow the National Indian Gaming Commission  regulations "I have gotten calls from people in other cities who are following this case because it could set a dangerous precedent," Moss said "They are afraid this could happen to them What's going on here deserves more attention than it's getting." The residents' group "Save Kendale Lakes" recently complained that the federal agency hasn't made an effort to host a public hearing Moss said he believes that if the federal government transfers the land the tribe will continue to show "complete disregard" for their neighbors and a "jurisdictional nightmare" would ensue INTERACTIVE TIMELINE: 2003-2015 | Documents and process Follow Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres on Twitter @MiamiCrime is the latest West End park to offer visitors free WiFi as part of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan C Zapata’s efforts to expand the free service in his district “Westwind Lakes Park is a very popular park for all ages and now residents who go there to utilize the senior center or skate park will also be able to take advantage of the free WiFi,” Commissioner Zapata said Two other West End parks — Hammocks Community Park and Olympic Park — became equipped with free WiFi earlier this year West End Regional Library and Kendale Lakes Branch Library Orange “Free WiFI” signs featuring the heart-shaped West End logo appear at all the locations The design was chosen by residents from among several options posted on Commissioner Zapata’s Facebook page and online newsletter