On Tuesday, the police apprehended a suspect who allegedly assaulted a man with a pistol and then stole his wristwatch.
According to Miami police, they received a call about an armed robbery at approximately 5 a.m. on Thursday, October 12, at an apartment near the 5700 block of Biscayne Boulevard, close to Miami’s Morningside neighborhood.
The victim informed the police that he had been in the building’s lounge area on the eighth floor with a female friend since around 2 a.m. At 5 a.m., he received a message on Instagram from a co-defendant, whose name was not disclosed in the police report. This person purportedly instructed the victim to “come down to the apartment.”
The victim and the woman proceeded to the apartment. He asked her to wait outside momentarily. Upon entering the apartment, he noticed a person behind the door but continued inside to wake up his friend who was asleep on the couch.
Simultaneously, a man, later identified as Adrian Daniel Matilla, 32, approached the victim from behind, brandishing a black semi-automatic handgun and striking him with it.
Shortly after, Matilla allegedly told the victim, “I don’t know what you are talking about, but we need your watch,” as per the police report.
The victim attempted to reach the front door and engaged in a physical struggle with Matilla. Matilla then struck him in the face with the pistol for a second time.
While trying to leave the apartment, Matilla forcibly took the victim’s watch from his right wrist.
The victim managed to flee the apartment and call 911.
The building’s surveillance cameras captured footage of Matilla entering the elevator and leaving the premises around the reported time of the incident.
Following a photo lineup, the victim positively identified Matilla as the individual who had robbed and assaulted him.
During police interrogation, Matilla acknowledged being at the apartment around the time of the armed robbery but claimed to have departed before the incident occurred.
When shown text messages exchanged between him and the unnamed co-defendant who orchestrated the robbery, Matilla chose to remain silent, according to the report.
He is now facing charges of armed robbery with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to possess a deadly weapon.
As of Wednesday, Matilla is being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the relationship between Matilla and the victim, nor have they provided further information about the co-defendant involved in the attack.
