Pedro Vargas

Mass Murderer

Pedro Vargas and the 2013 Hialeah Apartment Massacre

Overview

Pedro Alberto Vargas was responsible for a mass shooting that killed six people at the Todel Apartments in Hialeah, Florida, on July 26, 2013. The violence began after Vargas deliberately set a fire inside the fourth-floor apartment he shared with his elderly mother. He then shot the building managers who came to investigate the smoke, fired from his balcony at people outside, forced his way into another apartment and killed three members of a family. He later held two residents hostage while exchanging gunfire with police. The siege continued into the early hours of July 27, 2013. After negotiations failed to bring the standoff to a peaceful conclusion, a police tactical team entered the building, rescued the hostages and confronted Vargas. He was killed during an exchange of gunfire with officers. Seven people, including Vargas, died in what became one of the deadliest attacks in the history of Hialeah.

Background of Pedro Vargas

Pedro Alberto Vargas was born in Havana, Cuba, on October 3, 1970. He immigrated to the United States with his mother, Esperanza Patterson, during the 1990s and later became a naturalized American citizen. The two lived together in apartment 408 at the Todel Apartments, located at 1485 West 46th Street in Hialeah. Vargas earned an associate degree in graphic design from Miami Dade College and worked in jobs involving graphic design and media services. Although some early employment evaluations were favorable, he later experienced repeated workplace problems. He resigned from a position at Miami Dade College in 2008 after school officials discovered inappropriate and troubling materials on a work computer. He subsequently held other design-related jobs but had difficulty maintaining steady employment. Former coworkers and neighbors gave differing descriptions of Vargas. Some remembered him as quiet and withdrawn, while others described him as angry, suspicious and socially isolated. He reportedly believed that people were following, threatening or conspiring against him. Despite these warning signs, he did not have a significant violent criminal record before the massacre.

Warning Signs on July 26, 2013

At approximately 1:37 p.m. on July 26, several hours before the shooting, Vargas called 911. He reported that he was being followed and asked the dispatcher to investigate the license plate of a vehicle parked outside his apartment. During the conversation, he made unusual claims involving threats and witchcraft. His mother also spoke with the dispatcher and acknowledged that her son had been behaving strangely. A dispatcher indicated that officers could be sent to the residence, but Vargas's mother discouraged an immediate response and explained that he had left the apartment. Vargas reportedly went to the office of an attorney who had represented him in a dispute involving threatening or abusive communications sent to a former employer. The attorney was not present when Vargas arrived. Investigators later learned that Vargas had become increasingly concerned about his finances and the possibility of legal consequences. However, authorities never established a definitive motive for the killings. None of the six victims was known to have been involved in his employment or legal disputes. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Carlos Javier Gavilanes 33 yr old Male

Neighbors describe suspected gunman Pedro Vargas as ...