Woman Killed When Gunfire Erupts In NW Dade Restaurant
NW MIAMI-DADE (CBSMiami) – Police are searching for a man who walked into a NW Miami-Dade restaurant Tuesday morning, where he was a regular customer, pulled a gun, and shot his wife, who was a cook at the restaurant.
It happened just after 10:30 a.m. at the Casa Latina cafeteria restaurant in the Lucky Shopping Plaza, located at 19541 NW 57th Avenue/Red Road.
The victim was often visited by her husband, who friends identified as 52-year-old Reinaldo Cabrera Hernandez.
They told CBS4's Natalia Zea that the two arrived here from Cuba about three years ago, and lived together in Hialeah with a 16-year-old daughter. Without identifying the victim, police said she was 39-years-old.
Police said the victim and Cabrera Hernandez were at the restaurant before dawn Tuesday morning, and were heard having an argument. She remained to work, and he left, only to return at about 10 a.m.
Mayra Dwyer spoke with other regulars who were inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting.
"She was a cook, she was always in the back" said Mayra Dwyer. "They say that he came in and he asked for her. They told him she was in the back and he went in the back and shot her."
Victor Rodriguez was working on a computer in the restaurant when he said he heard a bang, and opened the kitchen door. He said he saw the victim on the floor, with Cabrera Hernandez standing over her.
He claims Cabrera said, "This doesn't concern you, Victor." Victor said he left with Carbera still in the kitchen.
Dwyer said the woman's husband was no stranger to the restaurant.
"They say that he always came here and drank coffee and all that," said Dwyer.
The couple's friends said they saw Cabrera Hernandez during the four and a half hours between the time of the argument and the murder.
"This morning he was drinking coffee at my house," exclaimed Maria Zumeta. She told Zea he came over at 7:30AM, and acted like everything was normal.
An hour later witnesses said Cabrera Hernandez went to a nearby car wash to borrow a shirt from his friend Guillermo Hernandez. An hour and a half after that, the victim was dead.
Hernandez said Cabrera Hernandez went back to the car wash after the murder and confessed to him, before taking off.
Zumeta's grand-daughter, Ronesha Henderson knows the victim and Cabrera Hernandez.
"I don't know what was going through his head. I don't know why he shot her. I just know he's probably like a jealous person," said Henderson.
She said the couple has a teenage daughter who will be devastated by this news.
"When she finds out, she's probably going to be hysterical, and I don't even want to imagine how she's going to react," said Henderson.
She said the victim was a sweet woman and she can't understand why someone would end her life.
After the shooting Cabrera took off on foot, and police set up a perimeter in hopes of catching finding him.
Police said Cabrera Hernandez is a person of interest, and while friends have identified him as the victim's husband, police have not confirmed the relationship.
Police said they are searching for his 1997 green Mercury Villager, tag number 229-TMJ
