Miami-Dade landlord fatally shot tenant in the head after heated argument, police say
A landlord is behind bars after fatally shooting his tenant in the head over the weekend in West Miami-Dade, according to police.
Samuel Omar Gonzalez is facing one count of second-degree murder with a weapon. He was being held without bail at the county’s pretrial detention center as of Monday afternoon, county jail records show. Detective Angel A. Rodriguez, Miami-Dade police spokesman, confirmed to the Miami Herald that Gonzalez is the victim’s landlord.
Richard M. De Maria, executive chief assistant public defender at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, declined to comment about their client’s case Tuesday afternoon.
Around 10 p.m. Saturday, Miami-Dade police officers and paramedics responded to a call about a man shot in the head in an efficiency unit at 1925 SW 125th Court. Upon arrival, they found Armando Alvarez unresponsive in a pool of blood. The 27-year-old was declared dead on scene, police wrote in Gonzalez’s arrest affidavit obtained by the Herald.
A police investigation revealed that the men, their girlfriends and a friend of Alvarez were having a get-together at the residence’s backyard pool earlier in the day when a heated argument transpired. When Alvarez tried to make amends, the affidavit reveals that Gonzalez, who lives with his girlfriend in the main unit, slapped him in the face in front of everyone.
Alvarez, his girlfriend and their acquaintance subsequently left the pool area and headed back inside the efficiency. Shortly after, police say, Gonzalez grabbed a .40 caliber pistol, entered the efficiency, where he confronted the victim — and shot him in the head before fleeing in a white BMW sedan.
At 1:38 p.m. Sunday, Miami-Dade police located and stopped the white BMW at NW 93rd Avenue and 25th Street, where Gonzalez got out of the vehicle and was arrested without further incident. As a detective transported Gonzalez to police headquarters, the landlord became “emotional” and confessed to killing his tenant and disposing of the gun used in the crime, police noted.
Detectives say that after they read Gonzalez his Miranda rights at the station, he asked for an attorney and declined to speak further with investigators.
Gonzalez’s next court date was unknown as of Monday afternoon.
This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 6:16 PM.
