Deputies say a late night shooting story from 46-year-old Joel Morales-Saez fell apart almost as soon as they started looking into it.
Morales-Saez was arrested after Miami-Dade deputies say he staged a shooting and falsely claimed a masked intruder shot him in the foot in an attempt to cover up a stolen gun. Deputies responded just after 2 a.m. on May 5 to a trailer near Northwest 81st Street, where Morales-Saez was found with a gunshot wound and later treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital before being booked.
According to investigators, a blood trail and surveillance video quickly shifted the focus to another trailer nearby. Inside, officers recovered a Cobra handgun that records show had been reported stolen in an earlier Miami-Dade police case. The rapid turn in the investigation has now left Morales-Saez facing multiple felony charges.
Surveillance and a blood trail contradict the story
Surveillance footage reportedly shows Morales-Saez arriving on a red bicycle, going into another trailer and tossing a bag inside before heading back to his own place, according to WSVN. The homeowner told investigators the bag was not hers.
Deputies say that bag turned out to be key. Inside, they reported finding the Cobra handgun, a weapon that records indicate had been listed as stolen in a prior Miami-Dade police case. Detectives also say a blood trail from Morales-Saez's trailer to the nearby residence helped connect him to the recovered firearm.
Charges and the arrest affidavit
The story Morales-Saez originally gave deputies did not line up with what they were seeing on video and on the ground, according to the arrest paperwork.
"The evidence contradicted his account and led them to believe the shooting had been staged," the arrest affidavit said, according to WSVN.
Morales-Saez now faces charges that include armed burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, tampering with evidence, dealing in stolen property and filing a false police report. Investigators also noted he has five prior felony convictions, including grand theft and a previous weapons-related offense.
What the law says
Under Florida law (F.S. 790.23), it is unlawful for someone convicted of a felony to own or possess a firearm, and such a violation is itself a felony, according to the Florida Senate. Penalties can be increased based on prior convictions or other aggravating factors, which means prosecutors could seek tougher sentencing if he is convicted on the counts outlined in the arrest affidavit.
Morales-Saez was later transported to and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, a Miami-Dade corrections facility, according to Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation. He remains in custody while the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office reviews the arrest affidavit and detectives continue their investigation.
