A man who was breaking into a car in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood was shot to death early Wednesday morning by the vehicle's owner, officials said.
According to Miami-Dade Police, officers responded to the area of Northwest 79th Avenue and 194th Street just after 2:30 a.m. regarding a person being shot.
Authorities said the suspect was breaking into a vehicle when he was confronted by the owner of the car and an altercation ensued. The car owner then pulled out a gun and shot the suspect, police said.
"There were two subjects attempting to break in to a vehicle outside of a residence. When the vehicle's owner came out and confronted those two subjects, an altercation ensued between vehicles owner and subjects," Miami-Dade Police Det. Andre Martin said.
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Authorities said the suspect then fled the scene in an awaiting vehicle, but crashed into several vehicles before coming to a stop.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded and pronounced the car burglar dead at the scene.
Video captured by Chopper 6 showed the crashed car, debris on the ground and what appeared to be the man's body covered by a yellow tarp next to the vehicle.
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The second suspect who was inside the vehicle with the burglar fled the scene and remains at large, police said.
Officials have not released any information on the identities of the passenger, the car burglar, or the vehicle owner who shot him.
It is still unclear if the owner of the car is facing charges.
"Cases like this can be complicated especially when someone is alleging they were a victim of a crime but detectives will see this investigation all the way through and see all angles," Martin said.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
