A 50-year-old Florida man allegedly caused his car to explode on purpose with his wife inside Feb. 1, police say.
Home doorbell cameras captured the early morning explosion inside the otherwise quiet Florida neighborhood of Hialeah Gardens, NBC 6 News reported Tuesday. The explosion killed the woman.
The force and volume of the explosion woke up neighbors.
“I get up, and I was like, what’s happening? Because the explosion was too, too, too loud,” Miguel Hernandez, a local, told the outlet. “We called the police. We called the firemen.” Hernandez said he did not know that someone was inside the burning car. (RELATED: REPORT: Florida Man Jumps Off Bridge After Car Crash, Breaking Both Legs In ‘Best Decision In The Moment’)
Investigators said that they found a body in the passenger seat that was burned beyond recognition. The detectives determined that the blast was intentional and arrested Noel Ruiz Mestre, the husband of the victim, on charges of arson and murder. The authorities claim that Mestre used a homemade explosive device to carry out the deed.
The couple got into a heated dispute during the car ride, NBC 6 News reported, citing the arrest form. When the wife allegedly tried to exit the vehicle, she found she was unable to and the couple continued arguing. Then the authorities claim that Noel got out of the car and set the explosion.
The husband then went back home and disposed of his singed garments before using a knife to stab himself in the stomach, authorities believe, according to local reports. He allegedly called 9-1-1 for help with his wounds.
“She was a real nice person. She always says, ‘hello, how are you, happy Christmas, happy Halloween,’” Hernandez said about the woman. “The guy [Noel] was a little more quiet, you know. He usually take a chair and sit in front of the house. He do nothing, I don’t know, he was really strange.”
When Noel recovers from his wounds in hospital, he will face trial.
