Left inset: Leonardo Amezcua (Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: The Rolex that Leonardo Amezcua was allegedly showing off to his shooting victim (Miami Beach Police/WSVN).
While enjoying champagne and conversation with friends at his Miami Beach condo, a Florida man allegedly shot one of them while attempting to flaunt a Rolex and pistol in his possession, according to police.
Leonardo Amezcua, 52, faces charges of culpable negligence and tampering with evidence related to the summer shooting incident, court records indicate.
Video released this week by local Fox affiliate WSVN purportedly depicts Amezcua attempting to barter his luxury Rolex watch in the early morning hours of July 19. This occurred after he met the female victim at a local bar she co-owns in Miami Beach and had dinner with her.
As the night advanced, the pair joined one of the victim’s friends and her husband at Amezcua’s condo in the Mirador apartments on West Avenue after 3 a.m., according to the criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime on Wednesday. Allegedly “intoxicated,” Amezcua began discussing selling the watch and proceeded to brandish a pistol as well, police report.
“I know what that watch is,” a man can be heard saying on the video obtained by WSVN from Miami Beach Police.
“If it’s real, 150 minimum,” another man allegedly says.
Authorities informed WSVN that the video-recorded discussion revolved around the Rolex sale with the victim and guests. The group, “drinking champagne in the kitchen,” was admiring the watch when Amezcua, as stated by the female friend, said he had something “cool” to show them.
“He went into his bedroom and to the kitchen with what [the guest] described as a silver and black firearm,” the complaint says. “Suddenly, the firearm went off and [the friend] noticed the victim was shot. [The friend] left the apartment with her husband and the victim. Once they were away from the defendant [the friend] called police.”
Cops say they arrived at the scene at around 7:30 a.m. and found Amezcua locked inside his condo, refusing to come out. “Miami Beach police officers knocked on the defendant’s apartment door for approximately 30 minutes, requesting he come to the door,” the complaint alleges. “After those attempts were ignored, SWAT and HNT personnel were requested to assist,” it says.
Amezcua eventually surrendered at around 8:05 a.m., per police.
Investigators spoke to the female friend’s husband about what happened and he said that he “very adamantly stated that it was very negligent and reckless of [Amezcua] to handle a firearm while being intoxicated,” according to the complaint. “[The husband] took the firearm away from [Amezcua] and threw it toward the front door,” police allege.
The friend can be heard on video obtained by WSVN describing what she remembered seeing that night, telling cops, “Blood, blood, blood, blood.”
Amezcua is scheduled to go on trial for the incident and is slated to appear in court on Oct. 23, according to online records.
