MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A man from Miami-Dade was arrested on Monday after being accused of shooting a victim multiple times while trying to steal the necklace the victim was wearing. The incident was confirmed by authorities on Tuesday.
According to the arrest report from the Miami-Dade police, the victim and a friend were constructing a utility shed in the front yard of a home in the South Miami Heights area, near the 25000 block of Southwest 144th Court.
At around 3 p.m., Michael Mason, 19, along with an unidentified person, arrived in a white Dodge Challenger. The car circled the residence several times before coming to a sudden stop in front of the house.
Mason exited the vehicle and pointed a semi-automatic weapon, described as a “small machine gun with an extended magazine,” at the victim. He and his companion then demanded the victim’s gold necklace and tried to forcefully take it.
In fear for his life, the victim grabbed hold of Mason’s firearm, leading to a struggle between them. During the altercation, Mason fired the weapon multiple times, hitting the victim in the right hip and right foot.
After the victim fell to the ground, Mason continued his attempts to remove the necklace, but he eventually gave up and ran back to the white Dodge Challenger. He fled the scene at high speed.
The injured victim was taken to Jackson South’s Ryder Trauma Center and is in stable condition with two gunshot wounds.
Shortly after the incident, the Miami-Dade Police Department released a “BOLO” alert, describing the suspect’s vehicle. Police later spotted a white Dodge Challenger matching the description on Southwest 137th Avenue and attempted a traffic stop.
Mason, the sole occupant of the vehicle, fled when located by detectives, prompting a police pursuit. He was eventually apprehended in Miami after about 16 minutes from the time of the shooting.
During the investigation, a witness identified the white Dodge Challenger as the vehicle used in the robbery. Police found what appeared to be a magazine with ammunition beneath a black suitcase in the back seat of Mason’s car.
Mason denied his involvement in the robbery but made a redacted admission in his post-Miranda statement. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Wednesday at around 1:30 p.m. and is being held without bond.
Mason faces charges of attempted murder with a firearm, armed robbery, reckless driving, and resisting arrest without violence. His vehicle was seized as evidence pending the execution of a search warrant.
