Four Miami-Dade police officers face manslaughter charges after a grand jury indicted them in the deaths of a kidnapped UPS driver and a bystander caught in the middle of a shootout in 2019, prosecutors announced Saturday.
“Given the sheer volume of gunfire in this incident at an extremely busy intersection packed with civilian motorists and pedestrians, we have presented these agencies’ findings to the grand jury,” Broward State’s Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a statement.
After months of hearing evidence, a Broward County grand jury indicted the four officers on June 6, the prosecutor’s office said. The officers turned themselves in at Broward’s main jail on Friday and Saturday.
READ MORE: Miami-Dade officers charged in shootout that killed UPS driver, who was ordered to surrender next week
Rodolfo Mirabal, 39, was indicted on two counts of manslaughter with a firearm for the deaths of Frank Ordoñez, 27, the kidnapped UPS driver, and Richard Cutshaw, 70, a motorist who was stuck in traffic during the shooting.
Jose Mateo, 32; Richard Santiesteban, 33; and Leslie Lee, 57, were all charged with manslaughter with a firearm in Ordoñez’s death.
“Deciding whether to use deadly force is one of the most serious and consequential decisions a police officer can make,” Pryor said. “We understand that these decisions are often made under intense and uncertain circumstances.”
The quartet was released on court order. If found guilty, they could face up to 30 years in prison, but first-time offenders could receive a lesser sentence.
Two of the officers, Mateo and Mirabal, were still employed by the Miami-Dade Police Department, according to personnel records. They were part of the Priority Response Team when the shooting occurred.
Lee retired at the end of 2021 and worked with the Special Response Team, records showed and sources told the Miami Herald.
Santiesteban was fired in June before the indictment. He was a member of the theft intervention unit.
“While the process has been lengthy, we believe the grand jury was necessary to ensure we get answers for the victims’ families and the community,” Pryor said. “All of this was done with the spirit of pursuing justice. The complaint speaks for itself, and any further submissions we have will proceed through the courts, as is our policy.”
Hail of gunfire
In December 2019, a jewelry heist that turned into a high-speed police chase ended with a major shootout involving more than a dozen police officers from at least three agencies at a busy intersection.
It started when Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill committed a robbery in Coral Gables and hijacked a UPS truck. Ordoñez, a UPS driver and father of two, was still inside when the police chase began.
READ MORE: Miami-Dade Officers Charged In Shootout That Killed UPS Driver And Bystander In Broward
It eventually ended with a shootout at Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road – the intersection was packed with cars. Ordoñez and the two suspected robbers were shot, as was Rick Cutshaw, a 70-year-old local union worker, who was sitting in traffic.
READ MORE: After three years, families still don’t know who killed their loved ones in UPS hijacking shooting
Ordoñez’s family is still grappling with his death. His stepfather, Joe Merino, told the Herald they would prefer someone to be held accountable.
“That’s what we’ve been asking for four and a half years,” Merino said. “Only justice.”
Miami Herald Reporters Grethel Aguila and Charles Rabin contributed to this report.
