A machete-wielding man from Hialeah is in custody after supposedly issuing a death challenge to his roommate during a dispute about cleaning duties. Carlos Ferley Ruiz García, 37, was arrested on Sunday after his roommate alleged Ruiz García threatened to exchange machetes in a duel to the death, according to reports obtained by NBC Miami.
The victim, living with Ruiz García for three months, claimed the altercation began over a simple request - to clean the apartment's bathroom. NBC Miami reported that the ask threw Ruiz García into a fury, brandishing the weapon and shouting, "let’s kill each other."
Petrified by the threat, the victim retreated and locked himself in his room, calling law enforcement while Ruiz García continued hollering threats from the other side of the door. When Hialeah police arrived at the scene near West 58th Avenue and 17th Street, they purportedly found Ruiz García still clutching the machete and promptly detained him. "The police said they ordered Ruiz to put down the machete and took him into custody," says a report by Local 10.
Ruiz García is facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and during his court appearance, Judge Mindy Glazer ordered him to steer clear of the victim. A witness residing with the two men corroborated the victim's daunting version of events. Miami-Dade County's TGK jail is currently holding the accused, with bail set at $5,000. If he posts bond, Ruiz García will only be able to return to the shared apartment to collect his belongings, and that too under police escort, reported NBC Miami.
