A 60-year-old man was arrested on an aggravated assault charge after deputies said he threatened a street vendor with an aluminum baseball bat and warned he would kill the man if he stayed to sell churros in a South Miami Heights neighborhood.
The suspect, Giraldo Caraballo, was taken into custody Wednesday, more than three months after the confrontation, according to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest report. No one was reported physically injured, but investigators said the vendor later filed a report because he was afraid for his safety. The case has drawn attention in South Florida because it began over a small, everyday dispute and ended with a felony charge that hinges on words, a weapon and how the threat was delivered.
Deputies said the incident unfolded Nov. 10 near the corner of Southwest 195th Terrace and 127th Avenue, where the vendor was selling churros from a trailer. Investigators said Caraballo approached the vendor and argued with him about selling the snacks in that area. The dispute escalated, deputies said, when Caraballo walked back to a Ford F-250 pickup truck, retrieved an aluminum bat and returned while holding it in what the report described as an aggressive manner. The arrest report said Caraballo then warned the vendor, “If you are here in 15 minutes, I am going to kill you like a dog.” Deputies said the vendor told investigators he feared he could be attacked. Caraballo left, but deputies said he returned a short time later and confronted the vendor again, telling him words to the effect of, “Oh, you are still here? I am coming back this time.” After that second encounter, deputies said, the vendor contacted authorities and filed a report.
Investigators did not publicly identify the vendor, and the arrest report did not describe any prior relationship between the two men beyond noting that Caraballo lived nearby. A Local 10 report said deputies placed Caraballo’s home about three-quarters of a mile southwest of the intersection, on Southwest 200th Terrace. Deputies have not said whether the vendor had been selling in the neighborhood for a long time, whether anyone had complained about the trailer before, or whether the argument involved permits or parking. The report also does not say the bat was swung or used to strike anyone. Instead, the case centers on the threat itself, the presence of the bat and whether the vendor reasonably believed violence was about to happen. Deputies said the vendor reported being “in fear for his life,” language often used in Florida assault cases when investigators document how a victim understood a threat in the moment.
Caraballo was arrested Wednesday when authorities went to his home, deputies said, and he declined to speak with investigators. According to the criminal complaint described in media reports, he was advised of his Miranda rights in Spanish using a written form and invoked his rights. The same complaint noted there was no officer body-worn camera video of the arrest. Investigators also did not explain in the public materials why the case was not resolved closer to the November incident date. In the months between the confrontation and the arrest, the vendor’s report remained the key starting point for deputies, who documented what was said, where it happened and the object used to reinforce the threat. Caraballo’s booking information listed the charge as aggravated assault, a felony accusation that can be filed even when a victim is not physically injured.
Under Florida law, aggravated assault is generally defined as an assault committed with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, or with intent to commit a felony. Prosecutors do not have to prove a weapon fired or struck someone to bring that charge, but they typically must show the accused made an intentional threat and had the apparent ability to carry it out. In many cases, courts consider how an object was used or displayed when deciding whether it qualifies as a deadly weapon. In this case, deputies described the bat as aluminum and said Caraballo held it in an aggressive manner while issuing a death threat. The investigation materials released so far have not included photos of the bat or detailed measurements of it. Deputies also have not said whether any witnesses besides the vendor heard the exchange or saw Caraballo retrieve the bat from the truck, leaving the case likely to rely on the vendor’s statement, the timeline described by deputies and any corroborating details investigators were able to gather.
Caraballo was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where bond was set at $5,000, authorities said. Jail records reviewed by media outlets indicated he later posted bond. Court records referenced in reports did not list a scheduled next hearing as of early March, though criminal cases commonly move through an initial court appearance, an arraignment and pretrial hearings where lawyers challenge evidence and negotiate possible resolutions. If prosecutors move forward, the case could turn on whether the defense challenges the vendor’s account, whether investigators can document exactly where each man stood and how close they were, and whether the bat was displayed in a way that meets the legal definition of a deadly weapon. Aggravated assault is generally treated as a third-degree felony in Florida, which can carry penalties including up to five years in prison, depending on the facts of the case and a defendant’s criminal history.
The confrontation happened in a residential part of southwest Miami-Dade where small vendors often set up along neighborhood streets, selling snacks and drinks to passing drivers and local residents. Deputies described the vendor’s setup as a trailer, suggesting the business was mobile rather than a fixed storefront. In the arrest report, deputies framed the conflict as a dispute over the vendor’s presence and his right to sell churros in that spot. The vendor told investigators he felt threatened enough to report the incident after Caraballo came back a second time, according to the report. For investigators, that return visit was significant because it suggested the threat was not a single outburst but a repeated warning, delivered after Caraballo had already retrieved a bat and left the immediate area. Deputies have not released a detailed motive beyond the argument about selling churros, and they have not said whether Caraballo made any other statements or whether the vendor moved his trailer after the threats.
As of Monday, the case remained pending in Miami-Dade County with Caraballo charged with aggravated assault and no public trial date listed in available records. The next expected milestone is an initial court setting where the charge will be formally addressed and a judge will set future dates for hearings or a possible plea.
Author note: Last updated March 2, 2026.