Five men await trial after robbery, kidnapping and fatal shooting

In a case that has had Miami attorneys and police officers puzzled for months, new documents have surfaced regarding a cash heist-turned-kidnapping that ultimately left one young woman dead. The Miami Herald reports that five men are currently awaiting trial for charges of armed kidnapping, conspiracy and felony murder – because someone died while a criminal act was being committed.

The series of events that lead to the death of 21-year-old Damaris Jaramillo began in May 2012, when Luis Mir – a 19-year-old from West Perrine – recruited a group of young men to rob his family home, where his uncle reportedly had $600,000 in cash stashed away in a safe. The alleged assailants, who ranged from 17 to 26 in age, broke into Mir’s home, stole the money, and met up with the teenager a block away.

However, the men involved purportedly believed that Mir kept more than his fair share of the takings. A few months later, the girlfriend of Alain Perea – deemed “the ringleader” by investigators – lured Mir to her home. He was then kidnapped and held in a Homestead trailer park by the men engaged in the heist. Mir was eventually able to break free and called the police from a payphone nearby.

However, when the cops arrived, they found Jaramillo – a girlfriend of one of the suspects – who they claim was carrying a revolver. NBC reports that officers Jaramillo shot on the scene.

“If the police are investigating a legitimate crime, it doesn’t give them carte blanche to shoot up the place,” a Miami criminal defense attorney working for the slain woman’s mother told the Miami Herald.

The five men charged have pled not guilty to all charges.

If you stand accused of a violent crime in Florida, a Miami criminal defense lawyer can be a vital ally. Call Scott A. Ferris, Esq. at 305-670-3330 to discuss your case.