A Miami man caught on surveillance video grabbing an elderly man by the neck and slamming him against a store shelf inside a Brickell Walgreens was sentenced and got a lesson from the judge who referenced the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show.
On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Guillermo Zaldivar to 364 days behind bars after he was found guilty of attacking Manuel Casabielle during an altercation last summer.
Surveillance footage showed the moment Zaldivar grabbed Casabielle by the neck and pushed him against a rack inside the store last July.
Casabielle said he had gone to Walgreens to pick up medication when he noticed a loud commotion near the entrance.
“I went to Walgreens to pick up some medication, and as I entered the store, to my left there was a loud commotion going on,” Casabielle said. “I turned around and saw Zaldivar berating the cashier, an elderly woman, and I was afraid it was escalating.”
Casabielle said he tried to de-escalate the situation after hearing Zaldivar yelling at the older employee. Instead, he became the target of the attack and was thrown to the ground.
During sentencing, Judge David Young questioned Zaldivar’s actions and apparent anger toward someone who was attempting to help.
“What I just don’t understand, Mr. Zaldivar, is your level of frustration and anger toward Mr. Casabielle, who was trying to step in and defuse the situation,” the judge said in court.
Young also referenced Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance while delivering his remarks, pointing to the artist’s message about love conquering hate.
“I’m thinking about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl appearance, where you talk about love conquering hate,” Young said. “And that extends across all societies.”
In addition to the 364-day jail sentence, the judge ordered Zaldivar to complete an anger management course and to stay away from both the victim and the Walgreens where the incident occurred.
Casabielle told NBC6 he is satisfied with the sentence because Zaldivar, who is Cuban, could potentially face deportation after completing his sentence, though it remains unclear whether that will happen.
Zaldivar also received credit for the time he served.