A Hialeah barbershop was engulfed in flames early Friday morning after two suspects reportedly launched an incendiary device, believed to be a Molotov cocktail, into the premises, according to authorities. Police have arrested one man, Miguel Reyes Jr., in connection with the arson at the Fresh Parras Barbershop, with his alleged accomplice, Alberto Gonzalez, still at large. WSVN reported the fire started around 3:40 a.m. at the location on 60 West 49th St., which sent firefighters scrambling to control and extinguish the blaze.
Surveillance footage led to the identification of the two suspects, Reyes, 38, and Gonzalez, 56, who are believed to have used explosive devices to cause the substantial fire during a burglary; Reyes is currently held without bond on charges including burglary and first-degree felony arson, Local 10 reported. Gonzalez, who remains at large, faces the same charges as his purported co-conspirator. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Laura Anne Stuzin ordered Reyes to steer clear of the barbershop and set a $7,500 bond solely for the use of a destructive device causing disruption he was sharply groomed with precise eyebrows when he made his first court appearance on Saturday.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, but the arson not only decimated the barbershop, but also left at least eight employees suddenly jobless, tearing a hole in the fabric of the local community. "We feel awful. We're all basically out of a job, now, I suppose little by little we'll get back on our feet. We'll be alright," the barbershop owner Ariel Esquivel told Hoodline. Though the barbershop was destroyed, no neighboring businesses were damaged.
While Hialeah Police Department has obtained surveillance footage that could help identify the culprits, it has not been released to the public as the investigation proceeds, and the urgency to apprehend the second suspect intensifies, members of the community are urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers with any information regarding Gonzalez's whereabouts, and could potentially receive a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his capture, as stated by WSVN.
