Police face charges in Miramar shooting that left four dead after pursuit began in Coral Gables

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida. – Four Miami-Dade police officers turned themselves in at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday after a grand jury indicted them for their alleged actions during the police-involved shooting that left four men dead, including an innocent bystander and a kidnapping victim, in Miramar on Dec. 5, 2019.

The four police officers – Richard Santiesteban, Leslie Lee, Jose Mateo and Rodolfo Mirabal – pursued Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill after reports emerged that the gunmen had robbed a jewelry store, kidnapped Frank Ordonez, who worked as a UPS driver, and stolen the UPS delivery truck in Coral Gables.

According to the records, Mirabal is charged with two counts of manslaughter, and Santiesteban, Lee and Mateo are each charged with manslaughter. Broward Sheriff’s Office corrections officers released them, and the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association provided legal representation for them.

The charges stem from a rush hour chase after the stolen UPS delivery truck. Officers from the Florida Highway Patrol and police officers from Miami-Dade, Pembroke Pines and Miramar counties were involved.

Rush hour traffic forced the armed robbery suspects to stop near Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road, and a shootout ensued.

Richard Cutshaw was only eight miles from his home in Pembroke Pines. The union representative was also caught in traffic and caught in the crossfire. He was 70 years old.

Ordonez, the kidnapping victim and father of two girls aged three and six, was also caught in the crossfire. He was 27 years old.

Alexander and Hill did not survive. They were both 41.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the police-involved shooting and turned over the findings to the Broward County District Attorney’s Office on September 15, 2021. The grand jury indicted the officers on June 10.

Related Podcast: FLORIDA FILES: A deep look into the shooting gone wrong

Local 10 News reporters Bridgette Matter and Annaliese Garcia contributed to this report.