Two men were arrested Monday, April 27, after what Miami police say began as a robbery in Overtown and spiraled into an attempted shooting. The victim was driving a golf cart early on April 6 when a black Honda followed him, then pulled up and confronted him near Northwest 12th Street and Northwest First Place. During a struggle over a handgun, investigators say a round was fired toward the victim’s head, but he managed to push the weapon away and was not struck. Detectives later tracked the car and made arrests after recovering evidence they say is tied to the case.
Miami police arrested 28-year-old Santana Clark and identified Santos Gaiter as a co-defendant, authorities said, and Clark faces counts of armed robbery with a firearm and attempted felony murder with a firearm. As reported by WSVN, detectives linked the vehicle to the April 6 incident and later recovered a firearm from Clark’s vehicle with a spent casing still in the chamber. Clark is being held pending a bond hearing, according to the station. Gaiter’s booking information and charges were not immediately available.
How The Confrontation Unfolded
According to Local 10, the victim said the Honda followed him and tried to cut him off around 5:30 a.m. on April 6. When the car stopped, investigators say Gaiter climbed out of the rear seat, pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded money and a gold chain. A struggle broke out. The victim bit Gaiter’s forearm and grabbed the handgun’s slide, which investigators say kept him from being hit when a shot went off. Police say Gaiter then took the victim’s phone and bags and ran off, and a second person who came over after hearing the gunfire also had a bicycle stolen during the chaos.
How Police Linked The Pair To The Scene
Investigators relied on surveillance footage and MPD’s Real Time Crime Center, which captured the black Honda near the scene with its door open, and a ShotSpotter alert that registered a gunshot around 5:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Northwest Ninth Street, WSVN reported. Detectives executed a search warrant on April 14 that turned up identifying documents tied to Clark, and police say Clark had been stopped and cited in the same vehicle on the morning of the robbery. Officers later recovered a firearm from Clark’s vehicle when he was taken into custody on April 27, according to the station. Authorities say those investigative threads led directly to the arrests.
Charges And Custody
Jail records reviewed by Local 10 show Clark is facing one count each of armed robbery with a firearm and attempted felony murder with a firearm and was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.” The outlet reports that Clark admitted to driving the vehicle and giving Gaiter a ride but declined to identify Gaiter as a suspect when questioned. Local records show Gaiter was arrested separately, though his mugshot and bond information were not immediately posted. The Miami Police Department continues to investigate the case…