LAUDERDALE, I’M HATZEL VELA, LOCAL 10 NEWS. >> HATZEL, THANKS A LOT.
TONIGHT WE’RE LEARNING NEW
DETAILS ABOUT THE MIAMI POLICE
OFFICER INVOLVED IN THIS
VIOLENT ARREST AT PUBLIX.
THAT SAME OFFICER IS UNDER
INVESTIGATION FOR A SIMILAR
INCIDENT JUST TWO YEARS AGO.
LOCAL 10 REPORTER IAN MARGOL
IS LIVE NOW WITH WHAT THE
CHIEF IS SAYING TONIGHT, IAN?
>> THAT OFFICER HAS BEEN
RELIEVED OF DUTY PENDING THE
OUTCOME OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
WE NOW KNOW THAT LESS THAN TWO
YEARS AGO, THAT SAME OFFICER
WAS INVESTIGATED BY INTERNAL
AFFAIRS.
>> CITY OF MIAMI POLICE
OFFICER ALEXANDER GARCIA
CONTRERAS NOW UNDER
INVESTIGATION AFTER PUNCHING A
HOMELESS MAN REPEATEDLY IN THE
HEAD.
>> THAT EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN
RELIEVED OF DUTY AND THERE’S
AN INVESTIGATION ONGOING.
>> POLICE CHIEF ART ACEVEDO
SPEAKING TO US THURSDAY ABOUT
THAT VIDEO FROM MID APRIL.
>> WE’RE GONNA MAKE OUR
ASSESSMENTS AND WE’LL REPORT
BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY WHAT
THE FINDINGS ARE AND WHAT THE
CONSEQUENCES ARE.
>> MIAMI POLICE ARE TOO
AGGRESSIVE.
>> JOHN VEGA SAYS HE KNOWS
GARCIA CONTRERAS WELL.
HE FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST
THE OFFICER IN 2019 WHEN
GARCIA CONTRERAS PUNCHED HIM
IN THE FACE OUTSIDE A CLUB.
>> YOU’RE CONTINUOUSLY
ASSAULTING PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU
HAVE A BADGE ON.
>> INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOUND
OFFICER GARCIA CONTRERAS HAD
ACTED DISCOURTEOUSLY.
BUT WHETHER OR NOT HE FACED
ANY SORT OF DISCIPLINE IS
UNCLEAR.
GARCIA CONTRERAS IS ONCE AGAIN
UNDER INVESTIGATION, THE VIDEO
SHOWING HIM PUNCHING A
HOMELESS MAN NAMED WILLIE
BARBER WHO ALLEGEDLY STOLE
CHICKEN FROM A MIAMI PUBLIX.
THIS INCIDENT SHOWS WHY THERE
MAY NEED TO BE CHANGES TO WHAT
WE CONSIDER NORMAL PUBLIC
SAFETY PROTOCOLS.
9>> PUBLIC SAFETY IN AND OF
ITSELF DOES NOT HAVE TO EQUAL
POLICING.
IT REALLY IS A QUALITY OF LIFE
SITUATION.
IT’S A STANDARD THAT WE ALL
SHOULD LOOK AT WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO REFORM
POLICING IN AMERICA.
>> I DID REACH OUT TO THE
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE IN
MIAMI.
THAT’S THE POLICE UNION FOR
THE CITY OF MIAMI POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
THEY DID NOT GET BACK TO ME
TODAY.
WE CAN TELL YOU THOUGH, THAT
OFFICER STILL UNDER
INVESTIGATION BY INTERNAL
AFFAIRS.
AS SOON AS WE GET ANY UPDATES,
WE’LL LET YOU KNOW.
LIVE IN MIAMI, I’M IAN MARGOL,
LOCAL 10 NEWS.
>> WE KEEP SEEING A LOT OF
THIS.
THANK YOU, IAN.
A TEENAGER IS DEAD -- WE ALSO
SAW A BICYCLE ON THE GROUND
WHERE DETECTIVES ARE
INVESTIGATING.
LAUDERHILL POLICE WERE CALLED
OUT TO THE 3600 BLOCK OF
NORTHWEST 1ST COURT WHERE
THERE WERE REPORTS OF A
BARRICADED SUSPECT.
WE ARE TOLD THERE IS NOW A
PERSON IN CUSTODY.
PROMISING NEWS FOR THE CRUISE
SHIP INDUSTRY.
THE CDC IS RESPONDING TO CALLS
TO GET SHIPS SAILING AGAIN.
ALEX FINNIE IS LIVE AT PORT
EVERGLADES WITH THE TIMELINE,
ALEX?
>> NICOLE, THE BIG DATE THAT
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW
IS ABOUT MID JULY.
BUT OF COURSE THERE’S QUITE A
LENGTHY CHECKLIST WHERE WE’RE
GONNA HAVE TO MARK UP ALL
THOSE BOXES FOR EVERYTHING TO
FINALLY GET ROLLING.
>> THE CDC ROLLING OUT NEW
GUIDELINES FOR THE CRUISE
INDUSTRY.
98% OF THE CREW AND 95% OF
PASSENGER
PASSENGERS MUST BE VACCINATED
FOR CRUISES TO SAIL AGAIN IN
MID JULY.
>> THEY DON’T WANT TO TAKE ANY
UNNECESSARY RISKS.
WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF CRUISE
LINES NOW REQUIRING PASSENGERS
TO BE VACCINATED.
>>
>> GOVERNOR DeSANTIS DEMANDED THE NO SALE ORDER BE LIFTED. STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS
QUICKLY WEIGHING IN ON THIS
CDC ANNOUNCEMENT.
MIAMI-DADE MAYOR DANIELLA
LEVINE CAVA SAYING "I’M
GRATEFUL TO THE CDC FOR
ENGAGING IN ONGOING DIALOGUE
WITH THE PORT AND OUR LOCAL
CRUISE PARTNERS ABOUT A PATH
TO SAFE REOPENING OF THE
CRUISE INDUSTRY."
>> THERE’S BEEN A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF PENT UP DEMAND FOR
PEOPLE WANTING TO GO ON A
CRUISE.
BOOKINGS FOR 2022, 2023 ARE AT
RECORD LEVELS.
>> AND I WOULD OF COURSE
EXPECT TO SEE SOME MAJOR
CHANGES.
THE TOP ONE THE VACCINE.
WHEN IT COMES TO THAT
ITINERARY, YOU’LL BE EXPECTING
THOSE TRIPS TO BE MUCH SHORTER
AS WE CONTINUE NAVIGATING THIS
PANDEMIC, SEEING IT THROUGH TO
THE END.
BUT OF COURSE YOU GO TO OUR
WEBSITE Local10.com.
WE HAVE A CLEAR AND
COMPREHENSIVE LIST SO YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW THIS
ROLL OUT IS GONNA BE GOING
DOWN.
MAKE SURE YOU GO THERE AND
YOU’LL HAVE ALL THOSE DETAILS
FOR YOU.
FOR NOW THAT’S THE VERY LATEST
LIVE IN FORT LAUDERDALE, ALEX
FINNIE, LOCAL 10 NEWS.
>> THERE IS A BIG DEMAND TO
GET BACK ON THE WATER.
THANKS A LOT, ALEX.
NOW TO THE VACCINE ROLL OUT
TODAY.
STARTING TODAY, APPOINTMENTS
ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED AT
MIAMI-DADE DRIVE-THRU SITES.
JUST SHOW UP AND GET A SHOT.
IN MIAMI-DADE, MORE THAN 54%
OF THOSE 16 OR OLDER HAVE
GOTTEN AT LEAST ONE DOSE.
IN MONROE COUNTY, IT’S OVER
54% OF THE ELIGIBLE
POPULATION.
HERE ARE THE LATEST NUMBERS
STATEWIDE.
FLORIDA WITH 5600 NEW CASES.
1,000 NEW INFECTIONS IN
MIAMI-DADE.
636 IN BROWARD COUNTY.
THE POSITIVITY RATES STAYING
AT ABOUT 5%.
>> A BRAZEN HEIST AT A SOUTH
FLORIDA HOME.
THIEVES SMASHING RIGHT THROUGH
A GATE AND STEALING TWO LUXURY
RIDES.
LET’S GET RIGHT TO LOCAL 10
NEWS REPORTER ROY RAMOS LIVE
WITH THE VIDEO, ROY?
>> NICOLE, IN THIS VIDEO
YOU’LL SEE THOSE VEHICLES
CRASHING RIGHT THROUGH THIS
GATE.
THIS WAS SO LOUD THAT THE
HOMEOWNER’S DAUGHTER THOUGHT
THAT LIGHTENING STRUCK THE
GATE.
BUT BY THE TIME HER FATHER
CAME OUT TO SEE ALL OF THE
DAMAGES HERE, BOTH OF HIS
VEHICLES WERE GONE.
HOME SURVEILLANCE VIDEO
CAPTURING CROOKS IN ACTION AS
THEY BREAK THROUGH A
WESTCHESTER RESIDENCE FRONT
GATE STEALING TWO OF HIS
MERCEDES AROUND 6:00 THURSDAY
MORNING.
WATCH AS THE SUSPECT’S CAR
BACKS UP TO THE FRONT GATE OF
HIS HOME.
TWO THIEVES GET OUT, JUMP HIS
FRONT GATE AND WITHIN MINUTES,
THEY’RE GONE.
THE THIEVES WERE ABLE TO START
THE CARS EASILY BECAUSE THE
KEYS WERE LEFT INSIDE.
NEVER DID GEORGE THINK ANYONE
WOULD BE BRAZEN ENOUGH TO MAKE
THEIR WAY ON TO HIS PROPERTY
WHILE HIS FAMILY WAS SLEEPING
INSIDE.
>> IT COULD HAVE ENDED UP BAD.
NOT ONLY THAT, MY FAMILY’S
HERE.
>> FORTUNATELY, IT DIDN’T TAKE
LONG FOR HIM TO RETRIEVE HIS
PROPERTY.
ONE CAR FOUND NEAR OAKLAND
PARK BOULEVARD AND 995.
AND OTHER LOCATED NEAR I-95
AND STATE ROAD 112.
GEORGE TELLS ME WHEN HE
RECOVERED THE VEHICLES, HE
REALIZED THAT THE CROOKS WERE
TRYING TO BE SMART BY
DISABLING THE FACTORY GPS
SYSTEM.
THE ONE THING THEY DIDN’T KNOW
IS THAT GEORGE HAD HIS OWN GPS
TRACKING SYSTEM.
THAT’S HOW HE WAS ABLE TO FIND
THE VEHICLES.
>> I WAS ABLE TO DISABLE THE
CARS WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING.
>> HE NOW HAS TO FIX TWO GATES
AND THE DAMAGES TO HIS CARS.
HE SAYS IT WILL COST HIM CLOSE
TO $35,000.
HE WANTS THESE THUGS CAUGHT
BEFORE THEY STRIKE AGAIN.
>> I HOPE YOU GET CAUGHT
BECAUSE YOU DON’T COME ON TO
SOMEONE’S PROPERTY LIKE THAT.
>> AS WE COME BACK OUT LIVE TO
THOSE RECOVERED VEHICLES,
GEORGE TELLS ME IF HE’S
LEARNED ANYTHING IN ALL OF
THIS, IT’S NOT TO LEAVE HIS
KEYS AND HIS VEHICLES.
HE’S NOW OFFERING A $3,000
REWARD FOR ANYONE THAT MAY
HAVE INFORMATION THAT WILL
LEAD TO THE CAPTURE OF ALL OF
THOSE SUSPECTS INVOLVED.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION
THAT CAN HELP THEM, YOU’RE
URGED TO GIVE MIAMI-DADE CRIME
STOPPERS A CALL.
THAT NUMBER 305-471-TIPS.
IN THE WESTCHESTER AREA OF
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, ROY
RAMOS, LOCAL 10 NEWS.
>> LESSON LEARNED, DO NOT
LEAVE YOUR KEYS IN THE CAR.
THANKS A LOT, ROY.
POLICE SAY THEY CHASED DOWN A
SUSPECT
SUSPECT.
SUSPECT SUSPECT. OFFICERS SAY HE TOOK OFF
RUNNING AND WAS EVENTUALLY
CAPTURED NEAR WASHINGTON
AVENUE AND 9TH STREET.
OFFICERS SAY THEY TOOK A
FIREARM AND DRUGS WHEN VASQUEZ
WAS ARRESTED.
>> A MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING
HIS NEIGHBOR HAS BEEN INDICTED
BY A GRAND JURY.
HE WAS ARRESTED LAST YEAR, TWO
DAYS AFTER THE BODY OF
92-YEAR-OLD FERNANDO WAS FOUND
INSIDE HIS HOME.
POLICE SAY HE WAS SHOT 11
TIMES.
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO LED POLICE
TO PEREZ WHO IS NOW CHARGED