Miami-Dade

Funeral Held for Woman Shot Outside Miami School When She Was Teenager

Heidi Cortez, who was 43 at the time of her death, experienced health problems for years after the Jan. 19, 1995 shooting outside of Miami Jackson Senior High School.

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Family and friends gathered Friday to remember a Miami woman who died last week nearly 30 years after she was the victim of a drive-by shooting that claimed the life of another teenager.

Heidi Cortez, who was 43 at the time of her death, experienced health problems for years after the Jan. 19, 1995 shooting outside of Miami Jackson Senior High School.

“She was a beautiful young lady with so many goals in her life and everything was taken from her," said her sister Maria Inez Calvo.

Joel Paredes, who was 19 at the time, admitted to firing the shots that injured Cortez and killed 15-year-old Arlen Sequeira.

According to Paredes, he was in a car with another person when Paredes claimed they were shot at by someone in a crowd of people outside the school in the 1800 block of Northwest 36th Street.

Joel Paredes (Florida Department of Corrections)

Paredes said they drove away and returned minutes later "to get revenge," Miami Police said at the time of the shooting.

A different group of people were outside of the school when they returned, but Paredes said he thought there was someone he recognized and opened fire. Sequiera and Cortez, who were sitting in the back of a pickup truck at the time, were both struck by bullets.

“They used to do breaks, she was at school, they did the first bell, she didn’t go, but when they took the second bell they were passing through to go to school," Calvo said. "And when It started they thought It was fire crackers. But obviously It wasn’t.”

Sequiera was struck in the throat and died at the scene. Cortez was shot in the face and suffered brain damage, doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital said at the time.

“People like my sister who fortunately didn’t pass away, but had to live a prison in her own life," Calvo said. "She was my older sister. I basically lost my sister.”

Paredes was convicted in May 1998 of second degree murder and attempted second degree murder. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison and released in December 2020.

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