Deputies arrested a 60-year-old Miami man after he allegedly hurled large household items, including a dining room table and a television, off an upper-floor balcony at the Brownsville Transit Village, narrowly missing people walking below and damaging part of the building. The May 2 incident triggered a swift emergency response and ended with the suspect taken into custody without further trouble. Authorities booked him into a Miami detention facility on multiple counts tied to the airborne furniture and electronics.
According to Local 10, deputies were called shortly before 6 p.m. to 5185 NW 29th Ave after reports that objects were falling from an upper-floor unit. When they arrived, deputies found a dining room table, a TV and other debris scattered on the ground, and they noted damage to an exterior antenna attached to the building.
What Deputies Say Happened
As detailed by WSVN, deputies identified the occupant as Rafael Jorge Gonzalez-Sintes, 60. The arrest affidavit says he "spontaneously stated" that he had thrown an object from the balcony. Deputies carried out a protective sweep of the apartment and did not find any additional victims, according to the affidavit.
Earlier Call and Mental-Health Hold
Deputies told investigators this episode followed a similar call about two weeks earlier in which Gonzalez-Sintes allegedly threatened to throw items from his balcony and was taken into custody under the Baker Act, per Local 10. The property manager also told investigators the man was not listed on the lease and confirmed the antenna damage deputies observed at the scene.
Charges and Custody
Authorities say Gonzalez-Sintes faces charges that include shooting or throwing a deadly missile, culpable negligence, criminal mischief under $200 and disorderly conduct. He was transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, as reported by WSVN. The arrest affidavit remains the public record that lays out the deputies’ response and what they say they saw on scene.
What the Baker Act Means
Florida’s Baker Act allows law enforcement or certain medical professionals to take a person into custody for an involuntary mental-health evaluation if there is reason to believe the person is mentally ill and poses a danger to themselves or others, according to the Florida DCF. Those taken under the Baker Act may be held at designated receiving facilities for a limited period while clinicians evaluate and stabilize them.
Where This Happened
Brownsville Transit Village is part of a multi‑phase county effort to add affordable housing near the Metrorail, with officials kicking off the project's final phase in 2024, per final phase of Brownsville Transit Village. Deputies and court records will contain the official account of any formal filings or follow-up actions in the case.
