19-Year-Old Accused of Preying on Miami Beach Teens at Gunpoint

MIAMI BEACH — A 19-year-old Miami Beach man is charged with preying on teenagers in a rash of robberies, including two such incidents when he allegedly pointed a gun at his young victims.

"We are thankful to have apprehended this individual who preyed on some of our most vulnerable community members," Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department told Patch on Wednesday.

Louis Alonso Bonilla Cardona of the 1200 block of 71st St. is facing multiple charges of armed robbery with a weapon and related offenses. He is being held without bond and has had an immigration hold placed on him, according to Rodriguez.

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Police are still looking for another man who can be seen in a gas station surveillance video with Bonilla Cardona as they allegedly attempted to use a credit card taken in a Dec. 21 robbery along the 1300 block of Normandy Drive.

Bonilla Cardona was arrested on Monday after he allegedly pointed a black handgun at two teenage boys in a restroom near the tennis courts in North Shore Park at 501 72 Street.

One of the victims attempted to run, but Bonilla Cardona allegedly grabbed his shirt and pulled him back inside the restroom. "The defendant said, 'give me all your electronics, unlock your phones, take off the passwords,'" in Spanish, according to the arrest record.

Bonilla Cardona was arrested without incident in the 700 block of 71 Street. He was later identified by victims.

Police did not recover the handgun. They said that a surveillance camera at North Shore video captured the suspect in the park seven minutes before the victims entered the restroom.

The suspect is accused of taking two iPhone 7s valued at $900 each.

On Nov. 4, Bonilla Cardona is acccused of pulling up next to two other victims on a bike at the North Shore Open Space Park at 79 Street and Collins Avenue.

He reportedly asked his teenage victims in that incident if they wanted to buy marijuana.

"The victims refused, at which time the defendant produced a silver-colored firearm from a brown bag he was carrying," according to the arrest report. "The defendant then pointed the firearm at the victims and demanded their property."

In the Dec. 21 robbery, Bonilla Cardona is accused of approaching two victims at a bus stop along the 1300 block of Normandy Drive.

"Both victims stated that defendant demanded their property and implied that he had a knife under in his jacket pocket," the arrest report said. "The defendant stated to both victims, 'if you don't want trouble give me all your stuff.'"

Anyone with information on the second suspect is asked to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

Photos courtesy of Miami Beach Police Department.