Police: Landlord fatally shoots tenant

Tenant had bat at time of shooting, police say

HIALEAH, Fla. – Police in Hialeah are investigating after a landlord shot and killed his tenant early Thursday morning.

It happened along the 5700 block of West 10th Avenue about 2 a.m.

The landlord, Williams Arteaga, was evicting Yasmany Puentes when they got into an argument, police said. Puentes had lived there six months without paying rent and Arteaga paid for the utilities.

After the county removed his property on Wednesday, Puentes returned with a baseball bat, police said. Arteaga then shot him in the chest.

"It's sad. There has got to be a way to work things out," said Charles Pollok, who lives nearby. "Coming to violence should be a last resort."

Arteaga was questioned and released. No charges have been filed.

Detectives are reviewing home surveillance video.

"Disconcerting is a good word," added Pollok. "Last thing that happened here was like over a year and a half ago. There was a robbery way down on the other end of the block."