Man In Cuffs, Lockdown Lifted For Melrose Elementary In Miami
HIALEAH (CBSMiami) - A man Hialeah Police say is wanted for an attempted murder nearly a year ago was caught in Miami Thursday. Police say Gerardo Martinez Reygada was bitten by a police dog while he was hiding from officers.
The search began early Thursday when Miami police say Martinez Reygada tried to rent a U-Haul truck and the company found out he had felony warrants out for his arrest. They alerted the police. Police say he ditched his vehicle at a gas station near NW 27th Avenue and 36th Street and took off on foot.
Watch Maggie Newland's report, click here.
The U.S. Marshals task force was alerted and set up a perimeter with officers from Hialeah, Miami, Miami Beach and Coral Gables police departments. A SWAT team and K9s were also called in.
"They looked like Power Rangers," said Gio Rojas who watched the search. "I mean I've never seen a SWAT guy in real life. It was a complete shock."
Melrose Elementary School, at 3050 NW 35th Street, and the nearby Department of Juvenile Justice were placed on a precautionary lockdown until the all clear was given.
Hialeah police say they've been looking for Martinez Reygada since last September when he allegedly tried to kill his girlfriend's ex-husband.
"He came into Hialeah, saw the guy sitting on his porch, emptied his pistol trying to kill the guy on his front porch, missed him but shot up a bunch of mobile homes," explained Hialeah Police spokesman Carl Zogby. "No one was hit, by the grace of God. He fled the scene he's been eluding us for a year."
After about two hours, police say a K9 apprehended Martinez Reygada. He was handcuffed. Paramedics checked him out, and he was placed into an ambulance. Zogby told CBS4's Maggie Newland he was released from the hospital into police and will be booked into jail.
In addition to attempted murder, the U.S. Marshals said Martinez Reygada was wanted for grand theft and burglary in Miami-Dade County and a probation violation in Collier County.
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