Postal Worker Shot At In Florida City; Suspect In Custody
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A man is being held in the Miami Federal Detention Center, accused of firing at a mail carrier Monday afternoon.
A postal worker was on her usual route in Florida City. Around 1:30 p.m. she said she spotted a man pointing a gun at her from a second-floor window of the Tower View Villas complex in the 600 block of NW 6th Street.
"She saw a person in the window upstairs who had a rifle," said Inspector Blanca Alvarez with the United States Postal Service. "She went immediately back to her vehicle and started to drive away."
Investigators say the man opened fire from his window, hitting the rear bumper of the postal vehicle. The carrier managed to getaway.
"She did exactly as she was supposed to do, and that is why she is safe and unharmed," said Inspector Alvarez.
Ingrid lives just down the street and had just greeted the mail carrier a few minutes beforehand. Then, she heard a "bang." At first, she thought it was a firework, before realizing it was a gunshot.
"She always comes this way. She comes around the block and pulls up," she said. "I heard the shot but, like I said, you can't really distinguish between the two. Then, my younger son said 'Mom, go in the house.'"
Florida City Police set up a perimeter, and the Miami-Dade Special Response Team assisted.
While she did not know his name, Ingrid said she saw the suspected shooter often, describing him as a "very nice guy."
She said she could not imagine why he would do this.
"I don't even know. He's been my neighbor now for months," Ingrid said.
After a brief standoff with authorities, the man, whose name has not been released, surrendered himself. He could now be facing federal charges.
"It was shortly after the SRT team came in that the subject turned himself in," Inspector Alvarez said. "With the work of the local police department and the federal police departments, everybody came immediately and responded and made sure the subject was taken into custody, and everybody is safe."
Police said they had not been called to that address before regarding this man.
Investigators have not determined any kind of motive.