MIAMI – Police arrested 21-year-old Joan Bernardo Quevedo Valdes from southwest Miami-Dade on Thursday, charging him with four counts of attempted murder in connection with a drive-by shooting in Miami’s Omni neighborhood that injured three people earlier in the week. In addition to the attempted murder charges, he faces a charge of accessory after the fact.
Miami police had also been searching for Valdes in connection with a group beating that occurred in January at a park in a different part of the city. The drive-by shooting took place just before 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
Authorities revealed that the gunman fired approximately 14 rounds from an Alfa Romeo sedan at a group of four people in a parking lot outside BOXR Gym at 1310 NE First Ave. During the investigation, the victim who wasn’t injured told police that he had no knowledge of anyone who would want to harm him or the others with him at the time of the shooting. This detail was included in a Miami Police Department arrest report. The incident left three people injured.
Police were able to trace the sedan involved in the drive-by shooting to Joan Bernardo Quevedo Valdes’ home in the 8800 block of Southwest 50th Terrace, using data from an automated license plate reader in the Overtown neighborhood. When authorities arrived, Quevedo Valdes’ mother confirmed that her son was the primary driver of the vehicle. Police brought him in for questioning and took the vehicle for forensic processing. During the questioning, Quevedo Valdes reportedly made a confession regarding his involvement in the shooting.
In addition to the shooting, Miami police also questioned him about a January 13 beating at Curtis Park Marina in the city’s Allapattah neighborhood. The victim of the beating reported being “punched, kicked, and pistol-whipped” by a group of men at the park, located at 2350 NW North River Drive. The victim identified Quevedo Valdes as one of the suspects after recognizing him from his Instagram account.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Two other people were held at gunpoint during the beating, police said.
When questioned about the Allapattah incident on Tuesday, Quevedo Valdes acknowledged he was aware of what had occurred but denied being present at the scene, according to the arrest report. He is now facing a total of nine felony charges in connection with both the drive-by shooting in the Omni neighborhood and the beating at Curtis Park Marina. As of Friday afternoon, Quevedo Valdes was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
