An 18-year-old male was arrested for his alleged involvement in a shooting that took place outside of a convenience store in Little Havana, which left one bystander dead.
Miami Police officials confirmed that 39-year-old Desiree Gonzalez died in the shooting that took place at Habibi Mini Market on Southwest Third Street in December 2025, according to NBC Miami.
Surveillance footage from the shooting showed Gonzalez wearing a red jacket and a black hat while she was inside of the store. Just a few minutes later, a group of people riding on their bikes broke out into an argument with two people outside the store.
Gonzalez then left the store just as gunshots were fired between the two groups. She found herself in the middle of the shooting and was hit by gunfire.
“After the shooting the subjects fled westbound on their motorized bikes down Southwest 3rd Street towards Southwest 19th Avenue,” police said, per the outlet. “The two intended targets also fled the scene northbound on a bicycle Southwest 18th Avenue from Southwest 3rd Street.”
Gonzalez was rushed to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries sustained in the shooting.
Authorities stated that Gonzalez was not the intended target of the shooting.
An investigation into the shooting was launched soon after, and authorities found footage from the Habibi Mini Market that showed the shooting subjects 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 not clear what was revealed when he spoke to police.
As the investigation continued, police found that cellphone data placed 18-year-old Jeferzon Noel Mendoza Herrera at the convenience store at the time of the shooting.
“The cellular device’s historical data was also corroborated based on surveillance footage, statements provided by codefendants, and records for co-defendant’s devices,” the arrest report stated.
After he was linked to the crime, Mendoza Herrera was arrested on Friday, January 30, and was charged with first-degree murder, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
In addition to the shooting arrest, Mendoza Herrera has also been accused of attempted murder in a separate incident that took place on January 22 at Northwest 2nd Avenue and 75th Street in Miami, according to the outlet.
The Miami Police Department confirmed to Us Weekly that four other people – Abraham Estrada Solano, Cristian Reyes, Mauricio Jose Baquedano and an unnamed minor – were also arrested in connection to both of the shootings.
Mendoza Herrera is currently in custody and has been denied bond as of time of publication. It’s not currently clear if he has retained legal counsel or entered a plea regarding any of the charges he is facing.
Gonzalez’s friends told CBS News that she was experiencing homelessness at the time of her death. Her loved ones added that they were devastated by her death, with one person saying they spoke to her just hours before the shooting.
