An 18-year-old man was arrested for his alleged involvement in a shooting outside a convenience store in Little Havana that left a bystander dead.
Miami police officials confirmed that the 39-year-old Desiree Gonzalez was killed in the shooting that took place at the Habibi Mini Market on Southwest Third Street in December 2025, according to NBC Miami.
Surveillance footage of the shooting showed Gonzalez wearing a red jacket and black hat while inside the store. A few minutes later, a group of people riding their bikes got into an argument with two people outside the store.
Gonzalez then left the store just as shots were being fired between the two groups. She found herself in the middle of the gunfight and was struck by gunfire.
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“Following the shooting, the subjects fled westbound on their motorized bicycles on Southwest 3rd Street toward Southwest 19th Avenue,” police said, according to the outlet. “The two intended targets also fled the scene northbound on Southwest 18th Avenue by bicycle from Southwest 3rd Street.”
González was rushed to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries in the shooting.
Authorities said Gonzalez was not the intended target of the shooting.
An investigation into the shooting began soon after, and authorities found footage from Mini Market Habibi that showed the subjects of the shooting visiting the store on multiple occasions. According to a heavily redacted arrest report reviewed by the outlet, police identified one of the people involved in the shooting and interviewed him. The interview was redacted from the report, so it’s unclear what was revealed when he spoke to police.
As the investigation continued, police found cell phone data placed an 18-year-old Jeferzon Noel Mendoza Herrera at the convenience store at the time of the shooting.
“Historical data from the mobile device was also corroborated based on surveillance footage, statements provided by the co-defendants and records from the co-defendant’s devices,” the arrest report stated.
After being linked to the crime, Mendoza Herrera was arrested on Friday, Jan. 30, and charged with first-degree murder, according to online records reviewed by Us Weekly.
In addition to the shooting arrest, Mendoza Herrera has also been charged with attempted murder in a separate incident that took place Jan. 22 at Northwest 2nd Avenue and 75th Street in Miami, according to the outlet.
The Miami Police Department confirmed this Us Weekly than four other people – Abraham Estrada Solano, Christian Reyes, Mauricio José Baquedano and an unnamed juvenile were also arrested in connection with the two shootings.
Mendoza Herrera is currently in custody and has been denied bail at the time of publication. It is currently unclear if he has retained an attorney or entered a plea to any of the charges he faces.
Gonzalez’s friends said so CBS News who was experiencing homelessness at the time of his death. Her loved ones added that they were devastated by her death, and one person said they spoke to her just hours before the shooting.