UMVA has learned that a dramatic arrest was made this month in connection with a brazen shooting outside a barbershop in Margate, Florida, leaving multiple people injured and a community shaken.
The suspect, 19-year-old Joan Jose Ferrer Azuaje, a Venezuelan national, was taken into custody on a plane at Tampa International Airport just moments before it was set to depart for Colombia, in a stunning conclusion to a two-day manhunt.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the violence erupted on May 9th, when Azuaje got into an argument with others over an illicit gun deal at the Dominican Style Barber Shop, 326 S. State Road 7.
The conversation quickly escalated, and a witness reported that Azuaje opened fire on people outside the barbershop, unleashing a hail of bullets that struck three individuals, including a father who was protected from a potentially fatal wound only by a mobile phone in his pocket.
A 10-year-old boy was also present during the chaos, and authorities have charged Azuaje with child abuse, adding to the lengthy list of serious charges against him, including two counts of attempted murder and multiple firearms offenses.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that Azuaje's actions caused significant damage to neighboring businesses and left the community reeling in fear, but fortunately, the victims are expected to make a full recovery.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Azuaje is now facing a complex and potentially lengthy ordeal, as he is being held on an immigration detainer, which could lead to further complications in his case.
The suspect's arrest was the culmination of a swift and determined investigation by police, who tracked him down to Tampa International Airport, where he was apprehended without incident, as the plane he was on was taxiing down the runway.
