CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Police in South Florida killed a man they suspected of burglarizing vehicles, and then charged an alleged lookout with murder in his death.
Coral Gables police responding to a vehicle burglary report early Sunday found a car with a smashed window and set up a perimeter to look for suspects when they spotted a man sitting in a U-Haul pickup truck. They ordered him to put his hands up; Instead, he accelerated the truck toward them, police said.
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Officers fatally shot the man, and later arrested Henry Rodriguez, 38, who was found hiding in a nearby car, they said.
During his first appearance in Miami-Dade court on Monday, Rodriguez was charged with second-degree murder as well as burglary of an unoccupied vehicle, because authorities believe Rodriguez took part in the crime that led to his cohort's death.
A witness positively identified Rodriquez from a photo lineup as a lookout during the crime, the Miami Herald reported.
A lawyer for Rodriguez was not listed on jail records.
Coral Gables police have released few details as they investigate the burglary. They said Monday that the dead suspect's family had still not been notified, so they haven't released his name.
The two officers who fired their weapons are on paid leave as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates the shooting.