A man was arrested Sunday evening after he allegedly pulled a loaded handgun on restaurant workers at Dolphin Mall, sending shoppers and diners running for safety, according to an arrest report.
The incident started inside a restaurant at the mall, at 11401 Northwest 12th Street. The report says Emilio Gonzalez, 37, drank five beers at the bar and at a table, then argued with an assistant waiter about his sexuality. When the worker said the questions were inappropriate, police said Gonzalez spat beer onto his arm.
Gonzalez left, then returned when the waiter walked onto the outdoor patio carrying a pizza. Investigators said he punched the employee repeatedly and knocked him to the ground. When a second waiter tried to pull him off, Gonzalez punched that worker too. Both employees had visible injuries.
As the two workers backed toward the front doors, Gonzalez pulled a semiautomatic handgun from his waistband and aimed it at them, the report said. Diners were seated nearby when the gun came out. Gonzalez then tucked the weapon away and walked into the parking lot.
Witnesses called 911, and a bystander followed Gonzalez to a parking garage. Sweetwater and Doral officers found him hiding under a parked car on the second floor, next to a loaded Glock 17. Officers said he smelled strongly of alcohol and had signs of head injuries. He was taken to a hospital before being booked into jail.
Gonzalez faces two felony counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and several misdemeanors, including battery and using a firearm while intoxicated. Police noted he holds a valid Florida concealed weapons permit, but state law bars carrying firearms in the bar area of dining establishments and handling them while drunk. His total bond was set at $13,650, and the Miami-Dade corrections website shows he posted it.
