What began as a reckless prank in South Florida nearly turned fatal after an 18-year-old man allegedly opened fire on a vehicle carrying his ex-girlfriend and her friend, seriously injuring one of them, according to police in Hialeah.
Authorities say Jason Alejandro Rodriguez is facing attempted murder and shooting into a vehicle charges following the early-morning incident, which unfolded around 2 a.m. when officers were called to a local hospital. A woman had arrived with a gunshot wound to her arm and told police she had been shot while fleeing Rodriguez’s apartment complex.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, the victim said she and her friend had gone to Rodriguez’s apartment to egg the place as a prank. As they drove away, Rodriguez allegedly fired several rounds into their vehicle, striking the woman in the arm.
Police later went to Rodriguez’s residence, where he agreed to speak with detectives in a Mirandized interview. During questioning, Rodriguez admitted he fired at the vehicle but attempted to justify his actions. He told officers he heard a disturbance outside, armed himself, and went to investigate. Rodriguez claimed someone struck him with an egg and a rock, and that as the car pulled away, he “observed a green laser on his body.”
Investigators say that claim did not hold up.
Detectives obtained surveillance video that captured the entire encounter, and according to the affidavit, the footage contradicted Rodriguez’s account. Police say the video showed Rodriguez was never hit by a rock or an egg and that no “green laser” appeared at any point during the incident.
The footage also allegedly shows Rodriguez using his phone’s flashlight after the shooting to locate shell casings and pick them up from the scene, police said.
“Based on the investigation conducted, the defendant provided an inaccurate statement to police where he attempted to justify the shooting; where the video clearly depicts he shot at the vehicle as it sped off and did not pose a threat to him and/or anyone,” detectives wrote in their conclusion.
Rodriguez was arrested and booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond as the case moves forward.
