HIALEAH, FL — A man shot in the face during a fight at a Hialeah apartment complex has been charged with aggravated battery after police said the gunfire happened during a struggle over a weapon. Investigators said the other man involved acted in self-defense and will not face charges.
Hialeah police responded late Thursday night to 6141 West 22nd Court after reports of a violent disturbance with gunfire and injuries. Surveillance video captured the moment the shooting broke out at the apartment complex, according to investigators. Both men suffered injuries that police described as non-life-threatening.
Police say a private gathering escalated after one guest became aggressive
According to detectives, several people were at the residence for a private social event when one guest, identified as 42-year-old Jonatan De Jesus Dzul Aguilar, began drinking and acting aggressively toward female guests.
Police said Aguilar repeatedly grabbed the women and behaved inappropriately, prompting another man, Idalberto Garcia Cardenas, to step in and tell him to stop. Investigators said Aguilar then struck Garcia Cardenas in the head with a ceramic vase, leaving him with a large contusion.
The confrontation quickly turned physical after that, with police describing a fight that spread from the verbal dispute into a dangerous struggle inside the apartment complex.
Detectives say the gun discharged during a struggle between the two men
Police said Garcia Cardenas was legally carrying a concealed firearm, and the weapon became exposed during the fight. Investigators said the two men then struggled for control of the gun, and it discharged while they were fighting.
Aguilar was struck in the face. Hialeah Fire Rescue treated him at the scene before he was flown by medical helicopter to Jackson Ryder Trauma Center, police said. Garcia Cardenas was taken to Palmetto General Hospital for treatment of his head injury.
Detectives said their conclusion was based on physical evidence and witness statements gathered after the shooting. They also said independent interviews supported Garcia Cardenas’ account of what happened.
Self-defense finding leads police to clear one participant
Based on the evidence they collected, detectives said Garcia Cardenas acted in lawful self-defense and in defense of others under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. Police said he will not face criminal charges.
That decision left Aguilar as the only person charged in the case. Hialeah police said he faces one count of aggravated battery.
The case shows how quickly a private gathering can turn dangerous when a dispute becomes physical and a firearm enters the scene. Police have not said whether additional charges are expected or whether the investigation remains open.
Neighbors say they heard gunfire, cars and helicopters outside the building
Residents nearby described a chaotic scene after the shooting. Kelly Moregon told CBS News Miami that she heard gunfire and then saw a flurry of cars and helicopters soon afterward.
She said she grabbed her daughter and went to her mother’s room because it was the furthest away from the windows. Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said he saw bloodied men leaving the building and later heard from police that several people had been shot.
Video recorded after the incident showed first responders loading a patient into a medical helicopter. A woman who lives in the unit told CBS News Miami in Spanish that there had been a party there and that her husband had been shot, though she said he was expected to be OK.
Apartment residents describe fear after bullets flew during the party
Other residents said the shooting felt too close for comfort. One woman who spoke with CBS News Miami said she remained outside because she was worried and wanted to keep an eye on what was happening.
She said she thought about her son as the scene unfolded and described the gunfire as a frightening reminder of how quickly an ordinary night can become dangerous. The apartment complex remained a scene of concern after police and emergency crews arrived.
Authorities have not publicly identified everyone who was present, and investigators have not said whether the gathering was connected to anyone else in the building. For now, police say the evidence points to a fight that escalated into gunfire, leaving one man charged and another cleared on self-defense grounds.
