HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - Newly released surveillance video captured two alleged arsonists going to a Hialeah barbershop as they attempted to burn the business down. Hialeah Police arrested one of the suspects but the second one is still on the run.
On Friday, at 3:40 a.m., Hialeah Firefighters were called to the barbershop at 60 W. 49th St.
Once they arrived at the scene, they found the inside of the shop engulfed in flames.
As firefighters worked to keep the blaze from spreading to neighboring businesses, witnesses told police that the fire was not an accident.
Surveillance video confirmed it was a case of arson.
In the video, one of the suspects was seen smashing the front window with a wrench. The second suspect then came up behind him with two molotov cocktails and threw them inside the building. Video shows one of them didn’t even bother to cover up his face.
A camera from a neighboring building captured the dirty work from a distance.
The shop was gutted and the owner was left heartbroken.
The owner said when he saw the video, he told police that he knew the men as he used to work with one of them and gave investigators their names.
Speaking in Spanish, Ariel, the owner of the barbershop, said the attack on his shop was unexpected.
“All I want to say is this is something I didn’t expect. I ask God for strength to get through this problem,” he said.
Police arrested 38-year-old Miguel Reyes Jr., who appeared in bond court over the weekend.
“Burglary of a dwelling count 1, arson first degree count 2, bomb destructive device count 3,” said the judge.
As Reyes Jr. sits in jail, his partner, 56-year-old Alberto Gonzalez, remains a wanted man accused of torching a Hialeah barber shop.
The motive remains unclear.
If you have any information on Gonzalez’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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