A second suspect has been arrested in connection with a Molotov cocktail attack at a Miami-Dade family’s home back in March that left a teen severely burned, records showed.
Ricardo Alberto Munoz Manriquez, 32, of Florida City, was arrested Friday on 7 counts of attempted murder, along with one count each of arson, throwing a deadly missile, and animal cruelty, Miami-Dade jail records showed.
The arrest comes just weeks after another suspect, 36-year-old Yang L. Chiong was arrested on similar charges.
Miami-Dade Corrections
Miami-Dade Corrections
Yang Chiong and Ricardo Alberto Munoz Manriquez
The alleged incident happened around 10 p.m. back on March 25 at a home in the 27000 block of Southwest 143rd Place.
According to the arrest report, one victim said he was in his bedroom when he heard breaking glass and what sounded like an explosion before he heard his niece screaming.
He said he found his niece and parts of the living room engulfed in flames, while two nephews who were in the room weren’t injured.
Other family members extinguished the flames and the victim was taken outside and extinguished with a hose.
She was driven by her father to Homestead Hospital and then airlifted to HCA Kendall Hospital’s Burn Unit with burns on about 45% of her body, the report said.
A family dog was also injured, and the uncle suffered blisters on his hand and leg while trying to extinguish the flames on his niece.
Multiple children including a 2-year-old were in the home at the time but weren’t injured, the report said.
Inside the house were pieces of glass from a mason-type jar with a partially burnt wick in the lid, along with a hole in a window.
The victim’s cousin told investigators she was in a tumultuous relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Chiong, and the two have a child together, the report said.
She said Chiong had been arrested for domestic violence in Miami-Dade and has another domestic abuse case in Monroe County, and said she believed the attack on her family happened because he’s upset she wouldn’t drop the criminal charges against him, the report said.
The attack was captured by a camera from a nearby home and the footage showed a suspect in dark clothing arrive in a white vehicle and throw a flaming object through the home’s window followed by a “sudden large burst of fire,” the report said.
Investigators were able to track down where the jar was purchased and the person who purchased it, Chiong’s nephew, the report said.
According to an arrest warrant, investigators spoke with Munoz Manriquez, who had been arrested in April on unrelated criminal charges and was being held at the Metro West Detention Facility on an immigration hold.
Munoz Manriquez said he had known Chiong for about a year but denied having any knowledge of the Molotov cocktail incident, the warrant said.
But investigators found text messages between Chiong and Munoz Manriquez the day before the attack, the warrant said.
“I know you got pressure in your chest to release but you can’t get caught and involved even tho you want them to know who did it,” one message read, according to the warrant.
Investigators also obtained cell phone records that showed Munoz Manriquez’s phone was in the area of the victim’s home, the warrant said.