What started as an ordinary night in Wynwood turned into a scene straight out of a thriller when tenants say a man armed with a large knife forced his way into their bedroom using keys allegedly supplied by their landlord.
The suspect, identified by authorities as 24-year-old Jose Ramirez, was wrestled to the ground and detained by residents inside the apartment, according to police. Neighbors have been left on edge, and the incident has sparked a broader investigation that now includes the building’s landlord.
Officers arrived to find the man already restrained by tenants, separated him from the victims and then reviewed video recorded on a tenant’s phone. The footage shows the suspect entering the room, jumping onto the bed and then being held down, according to investigators. Authorities say Ramirez dropped a large knife and tried to grab a phone before the residents subdued him.
Ramirez was arrested Monday and charged with armed burglary with assault or battery and attempted burglary with assault or battery. He was denied bond, according to a report by NBC 6 South Florida.
On a recording cited in that report, Ramirez told detectives, "He had keys to the apartment that were given to him by the landlord," and officers later recovered both keys and a large knife inside the unit. The victims told detectives they were six days behind on rent and said the landlord had previously entered the apartment, including once while a tenant was sleeping, in attempts to collect payment.
The landlord is now listed as a co-defendant and is under investigation. Investigators say Ramirez unlawfully entered and assaulted the tenants before he was taken into custody, according to the same report by NBC 6 South Florida.
Landlord Access And Legal Risks
Florida law gives landlords limited rights to enter a rental unit for things like repairs, inspections and showings, but it also draws a bright line on tenant harassment and abuse of access.
Per Florida Statutes Section 83.53, "The landlord shall not abuse the right of access nor use it to harass the tenant," according to the Florida Legislature. The statute makes those rights enforceable by civil action and permits recovery of damages under Sections 83.54 and 83.55, as outlined by the Florida Senate and the Florida Senate, meaning a landlord found to have improperly given access could face civil, and potentially criminal, exposure.
