BRICKELL, Fla. — A man was arrested Thursday after police say he allegedly attacked an elderly customer at a Walgreens following an argument that stemmed over a credit card machine issue in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood back in May.
The incident took place on May 18 at a Walgreens located at 200 SW 13th St.
According to Miami police, 59-year-old Guillermo Zaldivar was taken into custody by the agency’s Felony Apprehension Team on Thursday morning.
Jail records obtained by Local 10 News on Friday show that he is facing one count of aggravated battery on a person 65 years or older and an additional battery charge.
Surveillance video from the store shows a man, who police identified as Zaldivar, screaming at a cashier that night.
The chaos caught the attention of 68-year-old Manuel Casabielle, who said he had just entered the store to pick up medication.
“He was calling her bad names like, ‘This is s---’ in Spanish, ‘Your s---,’ ‘This is s---,’ ‘This place sucks,’” Casabielle told Local 10 News in May.
According to his arrest report, Zaldivar was yelling at a store employee near the front register, appearing agitated and aggressive.
Casabielle said he tried to ignore the commotion but decided to intervene when he feared the woman might be physically attacked.
Concerned for her safety, Casabielle said he told the man, “Stop talking to her like that.”
According to the report, Zaldivar then approached Casabielle aggressively, grabbed him by the neck, and shoved him into a shelf.
Police said Casabielle fell to the floor and sustained minor injuries and bruises. Witnesses confirmed the attack and said they saw the suspect flee the scene on a red scooter.
Casabielle, who was recovering from surgery following the incident in May, said he couldn’t defend himself during the altercation at the time.
“I found out that guy had been there before and done the same thing, and nobody does anything,” he said. “So this night, at that time, nobody was doing anything. I felt somebody had to get involved. This is a big bully, trying to bully this poor woman.”
Authorities said multiple Walgreens employees corroborated the events.
One witness told police that Zaldivar had entered the store angry over a Walgreens credit card issue and had shouted, “You are useless. Look for someone who can help me,” in Spanish, the report stated.
Another employee said Zaldivar accused her of trying to “regulate him” for asking for his ID when he requested cigarettes, police confirmed.
On May 28, detectives said they obtained a license plate number for the red scooter from another witness.
A series of photo lineups were conducted in June, during which multiple witnesses — including the victim — identified Zaldivar as the attacker, authorities said.
They said Zaldivar has a documented criminal history that includes convictions for aggravated battery on a pregnant victim and aggravated battery with a firearm. Investigators said he was found guilty of both offenses in 1998.
Following his arrest, police said Zaldivar was read his Miranda rights but declined to answer questions without a lawyer present.
As of Friday, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”
Zaldivar’s mugshot was not immediately available.
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