Miami-Dade man faces attempted murder charge after New Year's Day attack, police say
A Miami-Dade man has been arrested and is facing attempted murder charges after Homestead police say he got into a fight with another man and attacked with a metal object on New Year's Day.
Homestead police said they responded to the 300 block of West Mowry Drive on New Year's Day to investigate reports that a man was suffering from a severe neck and head injury.
That victim, according to police, was airlifted to Jackson South Hospital and is listed in stable condition.
Homestead Police Department detectives from the General Investigation Unit also responded to the scene, and after investigating they charged 38-year-old Urbano Berdugo with attempted murder.
Police said that the investigation showed Berdugo got into a physical fight with the victim, and alcohol appeared to be a factor.
"Apparently the offender and the victim got in to a physical altercation and both were a little intoxicated," Homestead police Officer Oscar Roque told CBS News Miami. "After the initial fight, Mr. Berduogo, the subject, left and armed himself with a blunt object,
That object, according to Berdugo, was a large file. After arming himself, he went back and attacked the victim by hitting him "over the head and neck."
Roque said Berdugo and the victim were both fighting each other.
"It was just what we call mutual combatants," he said. "They were both fighting each other and I guess he did not like the fact that he lost the fight and he armed himself. Now he is charged with attempted murder."
Berdugo had insisted that he was attacked, and in bond court there was testimony that "he appeared to have a couple of facial injuries on his face and upper eye area."
Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer found probable cause for a charge of attempted second degree murder and ordered Berdugo to stay away from the victim and have no contact with him whatsoever.
She also ordered that Berdugo be held without bond pending another hearing on Monday and gave him a Public Defender to help him with his case.