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Police: Man shot girlfriend in back of neck before smiling, turning gun on her son

HIALEAH GARDENS, Fla. – New details are being released about a shooting in Hialeah Gardens that left a woman dead and her teenage son injured.

The woman’s boyfriend, Julio Espiritu, 51, faces charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder.

The shooting was reported just before 10 p.m. Jan. 9 at the couple’s apartment unit in the 9800 block of West Okeechobee Road.

According to his arrest report, Espiritu shot the victim, who relatives identified as Angelina Rodriguez, 45, in the back of the neck as she was sitting on a chair near the dining room table.

Rodriguez’s son, who relatives said is 14, told police that he was sitting in the living room when he heard a loud noise and then saw his mother unresponsive in a chair and Espiritu holding a handgun.

Angelina Rodriguez was fatally shot on her 45th birthday in Hialeah Gardens.
Angelina Rodriguez was fatally shot on her 45th birthday in Hialeah Gardens. (Photo courtesy of Rodriguez’s family)

Police said the teen told them Espiritu smiled at him while pointing the gun at him, told him he was sorry and then fired two shots toward the teen.

The teen was shot in the shoulder.

As the boy was on the floor, he heard two more gunshots and then saw Espiritu on the floor, the arrest report stated.

According to the report, responding officers forced their way into the apartment.

Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect and teen were both taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center to be treated for their injuries.

Espiritu is currently being held at the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center. He is expected to appear in bond court on Wednesday.

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