Crime

Weapons cache, including shotgun and rifle, found in expressway shooter’s mom’s home

By Charles Rabin

crabin@miamiherald.com

May 31, 2017 03:41 PM

Miami-Dade police said these weapons belonged to Horvin Ruiz, who shot up cars and at people on the Palmetto Expressway Monday morning. They found them in his mother’s nearby apartment.
Miami-Dade police said these weapons belonged to Horvin Ruiz, who shot up cars and at people on the Palmetto Expressway Monday morning. They found them in his mother’s nearby apartment. Miami-Dade police
Miami-Dade police said these weapons belonged to Horvin Ruiz, who shot up cars and at people on the Palmetto Expressway Monday morning. They found them in his mother’s nearby apartment. Miami-Dade police

When police searched the Palmetto Expressway shooting suspect’s apartment Monday, they didn’t find much. But they hit pay dirt at his mom’s place a couple of units down.

There, laid out on a bed in in Apt. 115 of the Miami Gardens complex on Northwest 177th Street, were 11 weapons that included six semi-automatic handguns, two revolvers, an antique gun, a shotgun and a rifle.

“After his mom saw him on the news, she went into his house and took out all the guns,” said Miami-Dade police Det. Robin Pinkard. Pinkard said police got warrants for both apartments.

Earlier in the day, Horvin Samar Ruiz, 36, was arrested and charged with a host of felonies after unloading at least 108 rounds from a modified AK-47 and a handgun at police, at stopped vehicles and at moving vehicles along the Palmetto Expressway near Northwest 74th Street.

Man fires AK-47 pistol at cars and cops on Palmetto Expressway

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Police said Ruiz, who was originally traveling south on the highway, abruptly turned and headed straight on into traffic, crashing into a family of five that included a pregnant woman. He fired at their minivan. Then he shot at others who came to help.

When police arrived and ordered him to stop, they said Ruiz kept firing with his AK-47 until he ran out of ammunition. Then he went back into his car and retrieved a handgun and fired at an officer through a window. The officer returned fire.

Ruiz then for some uknown reason got out of his car, dropped the weapon and lay down on the ground.

Miraculously, although more than a dozen people including police were fired at, no one was struck by a bullet. One man went to the hospital after getting cuts from debris.

Ruiz was taken into custody and charged with 16 counts of first-degree attempted murder, eight counts of premeditated first-degree murder on a law enforcement officer, eight counts of aggravated assault on an officer and 16 counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.

His sister told Miami Herald news partner, CBS4, that her brother is mentally ill: “I think he was trying to get killed. That’s what I think. My brother’s in pain and needs help.’’

He was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. A judge denied his request for bond.

Police are investigating after a driver opened fire on vehicles on the Palmetto Expressway early Monday morning.

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