Crime · Miami, FL
A federal judge sentenced tugboat operator Yusiel Lopez Insua, 47, to 18 months in prison Tuesday for the July 28, 2025 collision on Biscayne Bay that killed three girls—Mila Yankelevich (7), Erin Victoria Ko Han (13), and Arielle Mazi Buchman (10)—attending a Miami Yacht Club sailing camp. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra rejected the lower sentence recommended by both prosecutors and the defense, comparing Lopez Insua's operation of a tugboat pushing a barge with an obstructed view and no functioning lookout to driving blindfolded on Interstate 95. Lopez Insua pleaded guilty in July to seaman's manslaughter after the construction barge ran over the girls' sailboat; a camp counselor and two other girls survived.
Crime · Miami-Dade County
On Oct. 4, the FBI raided a 10-acre property in Kendale Lakes, Miami-Dade County, that was publicly listed as an animal sanctuary and livestock farm, discovering over 3,100 gamecocks, cockfighting training rings, ankle blades, and additional animals in a state of neglect. At least four people were arrested on animal cruelty charges, including property owners Marcie and Morris Newmark (charged Oct. 9), Sergio Ruiz-Osorio, and Carlos Rafael Lezcano. Miami-Dade County Animal Services confirmed all 3,111 gamecocks were euthanized by veterinary professionals, citing the birds' aggressive conditioning making them unsuitable for rehoming, disease risks including H5N1 avian flu, and the likelihood they would return to fighting operations. The Florida SPCA rescued 12 goats, two ponies, a lamb, 16 dogs, three cats, and at least two turtles from the property.
Crime · Doral, FL
Lazaro Nunez-Martinez, 31, was arrested Sunday on charges including kidnapping with a weapon, grand theft, and tampering after allegedly luring a victim to meet outside his apartment building for additional phone sales arranged through Facebook Marketplace. The victim reported being held at gunpoint, forced into a BMW, and robbed of approximately $4,000 before escaping by throwing money into bushes and running; the incident occurred weeks after an initial Sept. 28 purchase. A judge denied bond during Nunez-Martinez's court appearance, while a second suspect, Darian Ernesto Morejon Rodriguez, remains at large. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office directed residents to designated "safe havens" for public marketplace transactions.
Public Safety · Miami-Dade County
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office is seeking public help locating Prince-Charm Allison, 16, who was last seen on Oct. 4 along the 1300 block of Northeast 110th Terrace in Northeast Miami-Dade. Allison stands 5 feet 7 inches, weighs about 150 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a blue shirt and red shorts at the time of his disappearance. Detectives said he may be in need of services. Anyone with information is urged to contact MDSO Deputy A. Madrigal at 305-715-3300 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
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Crime · Miami-Dade County
Authorities say an Uber Eats delivery driver was shot in the buttock and pistol-whipped early Monday morning after returning to a Southwest Miami-Dade apartment complex roughly 50 minutes after delivering food there. The suspect, 33-year-old Khuslen Saruultuya, allegedly approached the driver in a gray Corvette, fired a grazing shot, struck him with the gun causing a 2-inch wound, and threatened to kill him before the driver escaped to South Miami Hospital. Deputies arrested Saruultuya Monday evening at his Southwest Miami-Dade apartment, where they reportedly found large quantities of suspected narcotics including cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, hundreds of prescription pills, a room allegedly used as a drug-processing lab, and approximately $11,394 in cash. Saruultuya faces charges of attempted felony murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and multiple drug trafficking counts, with a court appearance expected Wednesday.
Crime · Miami Gardens, FL
A woman was shot in her right leg while driving into her apartment complex near Northwest 183rd Street and 47th Avenue in Miami Gardens just after 6:30 p.m. on Monday, according to police. She told officers she did not see a shooter or anyone with a gun. Paramedics airlifted the conscious and alert victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. Miami Gardens Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded; no suspect information has been released as the investigation continues.
Public Safety · Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County officials alert residents to upcoming King Tides (perigean spring tides) expected this fall, which can cause nuisance flooding along the coast and in low-lying areas near waterbodies. The South Florida Water Management District's Enhanced Tidal Forecast, developed with the University of Miami, provides predicted tide dates accounting for sea level rise, wind, and oceanic conditions. Residents are encouraged to use NOAA's Sea Level Rise Viewer to identify vulnerable neighborhoods and to move vehicles to higher ground before tides arrive. Officials note that sea level rise is causing King Tide flooding to occur more frequently, last longer, and extend further inland than historically.
Crime · Miami, FL
A man pushing an electric scooter was struck by a vehicle on Northwest Seventh Avenue and 27th Street in Miami on Tuesday morning and taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. Police say the driver fled the scene in a dark-colored SUV or sedan with extensive windshield damage, while the victim crossed mid-block alongside another pedestrian pushing a bike. Miami police spokesperson Michael Vega urged anyone who sees such a vehicle to contact the City of Miami Police Department. The victim is expected to recover but faces a long road ahead.
Crime · Hialeah, FL
Hialeah police arrested Joe Luis Suarez, 51, on Monday, Oct. 12, charging him with one count of sexual battery after a 63-year-old woman reported he allegedly assaulted her at Victor Wilde Park. The victim said she met Suarez during an Uber ride arranged by her daughter and later agreed to meet him for coffee, but he instead drove her to the park where the alleged assault occurred. The incident was reported to Hialeah police on July 2, several months after it took place. Suarez was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Crime · Hialeah, FL
One year after Kevin Ramirez, 18, and Christian Contreras, 20, were found dead from gunshot wounds inside an apartment at the Atlantico at Aquabella off West 35th Way in Hialeah, their families are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The two young men, both up-and-coming barbers, were scheduled to travel to Colombia two days after the July 29, 2025 incident. Hialeah Police say the investigation remains active.
Local Politics · Miami-Dade County
Indian Creek Village, a half-square-mile municipality in Biscayne Bay with 41 residential properties and fewer than 100 residents, has hired Joseph Napoli as its new village manager at an annual salary of $215,000. The Village Council approved his two-year employment contract on Sept. 8, which includes a $600 monthly car allowance, health benefits, three weeks of vacation, and five paid personal days. Napoli, a former chief of staff to ex-Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, replaces interim manager Guillermo Olmedillo and will oversee day-to-day operations including zoning decisions, infrastructure projects, and the proposed 2027 budget of $8 million in revenues and $6.8 million in expenses.
