Cop’s 13-Year-Old Son Calls For Help During Break-In, Dad Shoots Suspect In Driveway

West Miami-Dade, FL – A veteran City of Miami police officer fatally shot a burglary suspect who was trying to break into his ex-wife’s home on Monday while his 13-year-old son was home alone.

The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on Nov. 23 in the 700-block of Southwest 98th Court in West Miami-Dade, WSVN reported.

“The 13-year-old child located within the residence contacted his parents and stated that someone was trying to break in from the rear,” Miami-Dade Police Detective Kristopher Welch told reporters after the incident.

“His father, a City of Miami Police officer, responded on scene, confronted the subject, shots were fired. He ultimately succumbed to his injuries,” the detective said.

Christina Carmenate, who is the ex-wife’s cousin, further explained how the off-duty police officer came to be at the house, WSVN reported.

“Somebody was trying to break into her house,” Carmenate said. “She called her ex-husband that is a police officer, and there was some type of altercation, and there was a shooting. It was a robbery. It was an attempted robbery, and the bad person was the one hit.”

Miami-Dade Police Spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said the off-duty officer confronted the suspect in the driveway of the home and shots were fired, WTVJ reported.

Miami-Dade police and Fire Rescue units responded to the scene and the suspect was transported to Kendall Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Officials said the off-duty officer was not injured.

Police said the suspect did not fire a weapon but have not said if the suspect was armed, WTVJ reported.

Neighbor Raul Artiles said he heard the shooting happen.

“I hear ‘Boom, boom, boom, boom,’” Artiles described to WSVN. “Somebody shooting with a pistol, like 10 or 13 times.”

.@MiamiDadePD: someone tries breaking into a W. Miami-Dade house this afternoon

13-year-old boy in house

Boy calls parents for help

Boy’s off duty @MiamiPD father comes to house, encounters, shoots and kills accused attempted burglar @wsvn pic.twitter.com/n3WdznTcyU

— Sheldon Fox-7 News (@fox_sheldon) November 23, 2020

He said the shooting was out of the ordinary for the neighborhood.

“This neighborhood is very, very peaceful, very nice,” Artiles said. “I never hear a shooting or anything like that.”

City of Miami police confirmed that the officer involved is a veteran member of their police force, WSVN reported.

Officials from that department were spotted on the scene but the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has been brought in to head up the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.