Teen Suspected In Machete Murder Lashes Out During Interrogation
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HOMESTEAD (CBSMiami) -- New developments have emerged in the case of a 17-year-old boy who was hacked to death with a machete and found buried in a grave in Homestead.
Dramatic new videotape obtained by CBS4 shows one of the five suspects screaming at a Miami-Dade police detective during her interrogation.
Desiray Strickland, 19, says she is innocent. On the video, she demands that she be released from custody.
"I haven't done anything, I promise, I didn't do nothing," she argues, handcuffed and sobbing. "I did not kill that boy!"
She repeatedly insists she wasn't involved in the horrific murder in June 2015 of Jose Amaya Guardado.
"I want to know what your involvement was," MDPD Det. Juan Segovia says.
"But please don't arrest me! I have no involvement, I didn't do anything," she cries out.
Detectives said Strickland and three young men conspired to murder the teenager, whom they knew as a student at the Homestead Job Corps., a school for at-risk youth.
Strickland's boyfriend, Kaheem Arbelo, a suspected drug dealer, was also the alleged ringleader. In an arrest report, Strickland claimed she walked away during the early part of the attack that was finished by Arbelo.
While in custody, Strickland demanded to see her father and continued to scream. Det. Segovia tried reasoning with her, even after she allegedly shoved the officer during their interaction.
"Listen, you need to calm down," he says. "If you agree to speak to me after I read your rights, I will listen to your side of the story."
"I didn't do anything, no," she replies. "Can you get my dad? I'm not gonna stay quiet. You're either gonna move me or I'm not gonna stay quiet!"
"The next step is we will get out a patrol car, and we'll sit you in the back of the patrol car until we've finished the paperwork," Segovia says. "It's that simple."
"You're gonna sit me in the hot patrol car until I die," she asks. "I have asthma!"
"You're not gonna die," he assures.
After Segovia leaves, Strickland is seen trying to break free of her handcuffs. But it didn't work. The tape shows Strickland removing screws from an electrical outlet and using them to try to pick open her handcuffs.
She then uses the screw to scratch "MPD go to hell" on the table.
Police said Strickland's three co-defendants have confessed. All the suspects have been charged with first degree murder and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Detectives believe the murder of Guardado was triggered by a debt owed to Strickland's boyfriend.
