Two men have been arrested in the shooting of a New York City Police detective in South Beach, authorities said Thursday.
Mustafa Cornelius Lee, 28, and Francisco Henriquez, 35, are both charged with attempted murder and attempted armed robbery, police said.
Police say Lee and Henriquez shot Det. Harold Thomas during an attempted robbery Saturday morning in the outdoor corridor of the 123 Lofts at 1288 Collins Avenue, where Thomas was staying.
Thomas drew his gun on the men and tried to take cover behind a tree, but heard gunshots and quickly realized he was wounded, according to an arrest report.
Several rounds were fired and Miami Beach Police believe that Thomas may have fired at least one shot from his own gun, possibly wounding one of the suspects as they fled the scene.
Thomas, 48, had been rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition. He's now in stable condition.
Thursday, his family said the veteran cop is talking and feeling better now that his attackers are behind bars.
"He’s in very good spirits. He has high hopes for his recovery but as usual we always say the bad guy gets off safe and the good guy has an injury you have to recover from," said Thomas' sister, Denise.
Lee and Henriquez were both identified by Thomas through a photo line-up, and Lee was linked to the crime scene by DNA, the report said.
Lee allegedly showed up at a Plantation hospital with a gun shot wound just hours after the shooting, police said. Henriquez was also grazed by a bullet from Thomas' gun.
Colleagues said Thomas has 27 years on the force, a first-grade detective badge, and a spot on the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Lee and Henriquez are being held at the Miami-Dade jail without bond. Police said both have extensive criminal histories.
