A man was taken into custody after an incident involving a police cruiser and a canal in Miami Springs. Authorities say Jandier Molina Arrieta, 31, was acting erratically near North Royal Poinciana Boulevard by the Hialeah Expressway. He is accused of throwing rocks and metal train track spikes at a police car, causing damage, before jumping into the Okeechobee Canal to escapem, as WSVN reported.
The incident occurred yesterday morning when an officer confronted Arrieta for throwing rocks at a sign. The situation escalated when Arrieta threw a rock at the officer, smashing the officer’s window, according to Miami Springs Police Chief Matthew Castillo. Arrieta then threw railway spikes at officers before jumping into the canal.
Authorities tracked Arrieta’s movements through the canal using aviation on the Miami-Dade side, and a small police boat and K-9 unit were deployed to apprehend him. He was caught when he reached the canal bank.
After his arrest, Arrieta initially refused to identify himself but was later identified using facial recognition software after receiving treatment for K-9 bites at a nearby hospital, according to Local 10. Arrieta now faces seven felony charges, including criminal mischief, attempted aggravated assault on an officer, and battery on an officer.
Chief Castillo said, "Every day you go, speak to individuals, and you don’t know what they’re going through, and this one, obviously, was under some type of influence or having a mental episode, and look what it caused," as reported by WSVN.
