Man Kills Himself In SW Miami-Dade Standoff

MIAMI, FL — A standoff between Miami-Dade police and a 45-year-old man who barricaded himself in a Southwest Miami-Dade home on Monday morning ended tragically with the man taking his life and the dramatic second-floor rescue of the man's 12-year-old daughter who had been hiding under her bed. The incident played out in the area of SW 209 Street and 133 Avenue. The incident began at 5:39 a.m. and continued throughout much of the morning.

The agency's Special Response Team could be seen outside the upscale home on Monday morning. The man who barricaded himself in the home was identified as Alfred Alvarez, according to Detective Lee Cowart of the Miami-Dade Police Department.

"Uniform officers responded to the residence in reference to a domestic dispute between a husband and wife," Cowart said.

"Arriving units heard possible gunshots from inside the house," he explained. "Officers were able to lead the husband's wife, mother-in-law and 12-year-old son away from the residence."

Heavily armed special response team members later came up with a plan to get the daughter out through a window.

Cowart said that hostage negotiators were unable to make contact with Alvarez, who was later pronounced dead at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

"SRT members were able to view inside of the residence when they discovered the husband suffering from an apparent gunshot wound," Cowart added.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano