The man convicted in the fatal shooting of a cyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway back in 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison.
A sentencing hearing was held Thursday in a Miami-Dade courtroom for 46-year-old Kadel Piedrahita, who was found guilty by a jury last month of second-degree murder and aggravated assault charges in the killing of 48-year-old Alex Palencia in the Aug. 14, 2019 incident.
Judge Alberto Milian sentenced him to life in prison on the murder charge and five years on the assault charge, calling it a "cold-blooded, brutal murder" and an "outrageous abuse" of the right to have a firearm.
"He shot an unarmed man in a public road which could have been a disaster," Milian said.
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The victim’s brother was in court and said he believes the judge's sentence was fair. The victim’s ex-wife appeared in court via Zoom and gave an impact statement.
“That day my children were introduced to a level of evil no human being should ever have to comprehend. All because of the selfish actions of a selfish monster who intentionally targeted Alex," Iris Kennedy said.
Piedrahita apologized and directly addressed the victim’s brother in court, saying he hopes they can all forgive him.
Palencia was part of a group of cyclists that included Piedrahita's son. Piedrahita would follow the group on a motorcycle, often filming or going on Facebook Live.
Police said Piedrahita was next to the bicycle riders when there was an argument and shots were fired. Cellphone video showed the encounter on the Causeway as several men are fighting when a gunshot is fired.
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Piedrahita and Palencia had been involved in a previous argument before the day of the shooting.
At his trial, Piedrahita took the stand in his own defense, saying the shooting was self-defense as he was being attacked by Palencia and two other men.
He also claimed he opened fire because the victim also had a firearm.
But prosecutors claimed Piedrahita could have walked away from the men during the encounter. They also said he wasn't seriously injured in the encounter.
Prosecutors brought up multiple times throughout the trial how the defendant posted an angry video on social media the night before the murder about Palencia.
