Neighbor dispute ends in machete and concrete block attack in Homestead, police say

A man was arrested in Homestead after a violent altercation with his neighbors, where he used a machete and a concrete block to strike several people, leaving multiple victims injured, police said

Victor Michel Baro, 44, faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery on a person 65 or older.

According to the arrest report, the incident happened on March 16, at about 6:50 p.m., at a home near Southwest 25370 and 129th Avenue, where the suspect and the victims live across the street from each other.

Investigators said it began with a verbal argument between Baro and one of his neighbors, identified as José Neyra. The situation quickly escalated when other family members came out of the house.

The report said the suspect first armed himself with a concrete block, then went inside his home and came back out with a machete, intensifying the confrontation.

During the altercation, Baro threw the concrete block at the victims. Later, when one of the men fell to the ground, the suspect approached with the machete in hand.

The victim, the report said, tried to defend himself by grabbing the machete blade, suffering a hand injury. His wife also intervened and sustained severe lacerations to both hands, requiring multiple stitches.

While they struggled on the ground, the suspect also struck one of the victims in the face, causing a nose injury, authorities said.

Authorities said the suspect admitted he had been in an ongoing dispute with the neighbor for more than two years, and that the situation got out of control that day, leading him to grab the machete.

Baro was taken into custody by Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies and transported to the county’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

He remains in custody as he awaits bond.

This story was translated from Spanish with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An NBC 6 editor reviewed the translation.