Deputies say a Miami-Dade man forced a handgun into his ex-girlfriend’s mouth, fired a shot that nearly hit her, then beat and choked her while their 9-month-old was on the same bed. The woman later escaped with the baby, with help from her sister, and reported cuts, swelling and visible scratches to her neck. Investigators say the violence started after an argument when she refused to unlock her cellphone.
Arrest report details
According to an arrest report obtained by Local 10, deputies identified the suspect as 33-year-old Erick LaPlante. The report states the pair had been in a relationship for about four years and sometimes lived together to help with childcare.
Investigators say LaPlante woke the woman and demanded her phone password. When she refused, he allegedly pulled out a black handgun and forced her to unlock the device. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you," LaPlante allegedly said before chambering a round and firing while she was on the ground, according to the report.
Deputies say he then showed her the spent casing and told her, "You see this" and "You see, I'm not playing," before repeatedly striking her with the handgun, punching her and choking her. The 9-month-old infant was on the bed during parts of the incident, according to the arrest report.
Jail records list a long slate of charges that include attempted felony murder with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon, battery by strangulation, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, child neglect without great bodily harm and battery. LaPlante was booked Tuesday into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he is being held with bond "to be set," according to Local 10.
Local context
The case lands in a region already grappling with a steady drumbeat of domestic-violence incidents. As CBS Miami has reported, South Florida has seen measurable increases in domestic-violence incidents and fatalities in recent years. Miami-Dade County notes that thousands of domestic-violence offenses are reported locally every year and that many children are exposed to partner violence in their own homes.
Help and resources
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers confidential support at 1-800-799-7233, by text at 88788 and via chat at National Domestic Violence Hotline.
