Man, 81, wanted in 2005 Miami-Dade murder arrested in Dominican Republic – NBC 6 South Florida

Nearly 18 years after a man was gunned down in his truck in northwest Miami-Dade, the gunman who authorities believe is responsible has been arrested.

The shooting happened the afternoon of Nov. 24, 2005 and left Eduardo Rojas dead.

According to an arrest warrant, Rojas has been with friends at the Don-Goyo Cantina at 17015 Okeechobee Road when he got into a verbal dispute with a man, later identified as Leomar Valdes.

Rojas and Valdes eventually got into a fist fight in the parking lot, before Rojas went back in the restaurant and Valdes left on his bicycle, the warrant said.

Rojas later left the restaurant and was found a short time later shot to death in the driver’s seat of his pickup truck in the area of 137th Avenue and Northwest 175th Street.

Valdes vanished after the incident, leaving most of his personal property in his trailer home, the warrant said.

The warrant was issued for his arrest on Nov. 28, 2005.

Valdes, now 81, was arrested in the Dominican Republic, according to local news reports.

He was taken into custody Monday at Miami International Airport and booked into the Miami-Dade jail where he was being held without bond on a first-degree murder charge, records showed. Attorney information wasn’t available.