What to Know
- A man involved in the fatal shooting of a bicyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway surrendered to police Friday morning.
- Kadel Piedrahita faces second-degree murder and aggravated assault charges in the shooting that claimed the life of cyclist Alex Palencia.
A man involved in the fatal shooting of a bicyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway surrendered to police Friday morning to face charges in the incident, his attorney said.
Kadel Piedrahita, 41, faces second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm charges in the Wednesday morning shooting that claimed the life of cyclist Alex Palencia, Miami Police officials said.
Piedrahita was booked into jail Friday afternoon, where he was being held without bond, records showed. Piedrahita's attorney, Sabino Jauregui, said he couldn't comment on the arrest.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said her office is working with Miami Police on the case.
BREAKING: Motorcyclist Kadel Piedrahita brought to jail after being arrested in connection to a deadly shooting on the Rickenbacker Causeway that killed a cyclist. @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/5lPXY42JDK
— Jamie Guirola (@jamieNBC6) August 16, 2019
"This is another senseless shooting and in of all places, on our beautiful Rickenbacker Causeway, where an enjoyable early morning bike ride turned into something so tragic. This gun violence will not be tolerated," Fernandez Rundle said in a statement.
The incident happened around 6 a.m. Wednesday on the Causeway near Key Biscayne when Piedrahita, who was on a motorcycle, was riding next to a group of bicycle riders and there was some sort of argument, Miami Police officials said.
Cyclists stop for a moment of silence this morning where fellow cyclist Alex Palencia was shot and killed while cycling on Rickenbacker Causeway Wednesday morning in Miami @nbc6 #cyclist #RickenbackerCauseway #Miami #KeyBiscayne #shooting #bike #cycling pic.twitter.com/fv6kgo7nOS
— Johnny Archer (@JohnnyNBC6) August 16, 2019
A shot was fired and Palencia, 48, was struck. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Cellphone video from the scene showed the encounter on the Causeway, and it appeared that several men were fighting when a gunshot was fired.
Piedrahita was detained for questioning but was released Wednesday night. Jauregui said Piedrahita got into an argument over an ongoing feud with the victim and that his client acted in self-defense.
Piedrahita was streaming on Facebook Live before and during the shooting. In the video, he rides past a group of cyclists that he appears to know. He then encounters one cyclist, and they all come to a stop.
Jauregui alleged the cyclist rode up to Piedrahita in an aggressive fashion, kicked his motorcycle and yelled profanities at him.
Local
According to an arrest report, witnesses told investigators that Piedrahita shot Palencia in the stomach, then pointed the gun at a second person and started screaming profanities. The second person ran from Piedrahita.
The report said the witnesses have known Piedrahita for several years through their cycling group.
"I have seen the video images of this incident and I am extremely bothered by the images I saw," Fernandez Rundle said in her statement. "It is outrageous that a group of cyclists cannot enjoy their daily ride without fear."
Palencia leaves behind two daughters, an ex-wife and a girlfriend. His girlfriend, Hanny Chang, told NBC 6 Friday that she was pleased about the arrest, saying in Spanish "he did not deserve that."
