Miami Beach Man Threatened To Kill Woman, Many Others: Police

MIAMI BEACH, FL — Miami Beach police seized a small arsenal of 20 weapons, including an AR-15 assault rifle and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition on Monday at an apartment complex on Island Avenue. Police said a woman claimed to have been threatened by a man, who allegedly raped her and threatened to kill her and many other people. The man was taken into custody for a mental health evaluation and later charged.

He was identified as 38-year-old Jaime Gonzalez, who rents the apartment to the woman and "occasionally" stays there while traveling between New York and Miami. Police were withholding his address but said that the victim had been a friend of his, who had been renting the apartment since January.

"In investigating the matter, the officers, came upon a cache of weapons inside the residence: six rifles, three shotguns, 11 pistols and 1,000-plus rounds of ammunition," Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department told Patch on Tuesday.

"It was subsequently determined that one of the pistols was previously stolen in Miami Beach, and one of the shotguns had an illegal short barrel," Rodriguez explained.

Gonzalez was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center before being arrested and then taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

The woman was allegedly raped around 4 a.m. Saturday, according to court documents when she awoke to find Gonzalez choking her. He then allegedly raped her without a condom.

"The victim became in fear for her safety and attempt[ed] to exit the apartment on several occasions as she was scared," court documents said. "But the defendant refused to allow her to do so. After several moments the victim was able to escape and the defendant became enraged."

Police said the woman locked herself in a bathroom for several hours and could hear Gonzalez pacing in the living room and "ranting about killing his father and cousin."

Gonzalez was charged with false imprisonment, sexual battery, battery, theft and possession of a short barrel shotgun.

"Throughout this incident the defendant made several threats to shoot family members and members of the general population," according to court documents that also said the woman had been told to never go into the closet area of the apartment, where the weapons had been kept.

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also assisting in the investigation.

Photo courtesy Miami Beach Police Department