Man accused of carjacking family at knifepoint, setting vehicle on fire in Miami

MIAMI – Police arrested a man Wednesday who allegedly carjacked a family at knifepoint and then set their vehicle on fire outside of a home in Miami last September.

According to an arrest report from the Miami Police Department, a man, woman and juvenile were traveling from Bradenton to Miami to go to the Honduran Consulate to get the woman her passport on Sept. 28.

Later that night, the woman spoke with Juan Desiderion Deleon-Cano, 43, of Miami, who agreed to go meet the family at an address he sent her via text message to receive the passport.

Shortly after the woman started driving towards the address, she decided to call Deleon-Cano and park her vehicle near the 2800 block of Southwest 28th Terrace, located in the city’s Shenandoah neighborhood to meet him outside.

Police said as the family was inside their vehicle, Deleon-Cano knocked on the driver’s side window of the woman’s vehicle and demanded the family to leave everything inside while holding a knife at them.

Detectives said the man and woman took their wallet and phones out and left the items inside the vehicle.

As Deleon-Cano approached the family, he zip-tied their hands together and covered their mouths with duct tape, according to his arrest report.

Deleon-Cano then told the family “not to call the cops or he would do something,” the report stated.

While in fear, police said the family hid behind a vehicle nearby.

Authorities said the man told police he watched Deleon-Cano get into his wife’s car and drive northbound on Southwest 24th Avenue.

The woman told detectives that she saw Deleon-Cano enter her vehicle with a black firearm, the report stated.

Shortly after the carjacking, police said they located the woman’s Mini Cooper on fire just over three miles away from where the armed robbery occurred.

Investigators said after responding to the car fire, a search of the vehicle revealed that Deleon-Cano’s phone was in the area of the robbery location at the time of the reported incident.

Police said Deleon-Cano was found later that day during a traffic stop and was transported to the Miami Police Department’s robbery unit for questioning.

Deleon-Cano’s arrest report states that he waived his rights to an attorney and agreed to speak with detectives, but his comments were redacted.

Jail records show Deleon-Cano is facing charges of second-degree arson and burning a vehicle to defraud an insurer.

Local 10 News has reached out to the Miami Police Department to find out if he is facing any other charges for the armed robbery incident.