Dispute over tire repair ended in a fatal overnight shooting in Hialeah, police say
During a dispute over a tire repair early Saturday in Hialeah, a man pulled out a machete and was then fatally shot by a mechanic, police say.
Around 1:30 a.m., Hialeah police responded to the intersection of West Second Avenue and 29th Street to find 36-year-old Michel Lope Montes de Oca dead at the scene.
Police say Montes de Oca had contacted a mobile tire repair service to fix his car and met with the mechanic, 29-year-old Brandon Hurst.
Tensions escalated between the two when Montes De Oca inspected the tire that had just been installed and noticed that it was used. He became “irate” and began to threaten Hurst, according to Hialeah Police Lt. Eddie Rodriguez.
Montes de Oca then pulled out a machete and charged toward Hurst, police said. Out of fear for his life, Hurst pulled out a gun and shot Montes De Oca multiple times, according to Rodriguez.
Police took Hurst into custody but said it was a justified self-defense shooting.
