Miami Beach Man Attacked Coworker With Machete: Police

Dispute between city workers nearly turns fatal after machete attack

A worker for the City of Miami Beach is behind bars after he attacked his coworker with a machete, nearly severing the man's arm, police said.

Guillermo Baez del Castillo, 63, was arrested Tuesday after an altercation with coworker Marcos Fojon, 59, nearly turned fatal, according to a Miami Beach Police arrest report.

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A Miami-Dade judge ordered Baez del Castillo, of Hollywood, held without bond on a charge of attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon Wednesday.

The arrest report said Baez del Castillo and Fojon, who both work for the city's Property Management Division, got into a verbal dispute over break times while at a work site in the 1200 block of Michigan Avenue.

Baez del Castillo tried to hit Fojon with a 2x4 but was stopped by a witness, the report said. He then went to his work van and armed himself with his personal machete.

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When Baez del Castillo returned, he swung the machete at Fojon's head, but Fojon was able to block it with his arm, the report said. Baez Del Castillo struck Fojon with the machete several times, nearly severing his left arm and causing multiple lacerations to Fojon's torso and leg, the report said.

"He wasn't expecting it. He wasn't expecting it at all. He just sat there and thought the guy was going to come and scare him with a machete, but he actually started hitting him," the victim's son-in-law, Sebastian Diaz, told NBC 6.

A witness was able to stop the attack by tackling Baez del Castillo and restraining him until police arrived.

When officers got to the scene, they found Fojon bleeding profusely and Baez del Castillo bleeding from the head from being tackled.

"He was actually going to hack him to death. If it wouldn't have been for another coworker that was there and grabbed him, he was going to strike the final blow â€“ and he grabbed him and brought him inside and he did a tourniquet on his arm before he bled to death," Diaz said.

Fojon was taken to Ryder Trauma Center with life-threatening blood loss. A police officer reported in court Wednesday that he is in critical condition and will have more surgeries.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez found probable cause of attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and ordered Baez del Castillo held without bond. The judge said she would give him time to find an attorney.

Baez del Castillo told Tinkler Mendez that he is a carpenter who makes $600 a week, owns a vehicle, and owns his home with his wife. He said he supports her, as she had a heart transplant about three months ago and is disabled.

Tinkler Mendez ordered Baez del Castillo to have no contact with Fojon, and he said he understood.

City of Miami Beach spokeswoman Nanette Rodriguez said Baez del Castillo is on leave without pay pending further disciplinary action.

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