Dead robbery suspect had Broward arrest

An armed suspect shot and killed in the Miami River on Friday had most recently been arrested in Broward County on theft charges.

An attempt to serve a warrant for a bank robbery ended in the fatal shooting after the suspect led police on a two-hour chase involving two carjackings before jumping in the water and refusing to surrender, authorities said.

The man, Ernesto Padron, 52, died at the scene.

State records show that Padron had an extensive criminal history, serving five stints in state prison on charges such as robbery and burglary. Most recently, Padron was arrested in Broward County on allegations that he stole $1,217 worth of power tools from a Davie Home Depot in June, then pointed a gun at a store security officer.

Padron was released in July from jail to await trial. He was ordered to wear an ankle monitor, which he was wearing when he allegedly robbed the bank.

The police chase started about 6:30 a.m. Friday, when FBI agents and Miami-Dade police officers arrived at the man’s home in north Miami-Dade to serve a warrant related to a Sept. 29 robbery of a Wells Fargo bank on Sunset Drive, said Justin Fleck, the FBI acting assistant special agent in charge.

The suspect grabbed a handgun and ran from officers, Fleck said. He then carjacked a nearby resident’s brown car and drove away.

Police officers pursued him along several highways in Miami-Dade, eventually crossing into the city of Miami, where he abandoned the first stolen car and carjacked another at gunpoint, authorities said.

After another police chase, the man eventually left the SUV under the 27th Avenue bridge and jumped into the Miami River. Officers from Miami-Dade and the city of Miami surrounded him in boats near a concrete ledge and tried to convince him to surrender, Miami-Dade spokesman Carlos Rosario said.

Officers attempted to take the man into custody about 9:30 a.m., but he refused to drop a weapon and was shot, authorities said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating. Preliminary reports indicated that seven Miami-Dade officers and two City of Miami officers fired at Padron.