Two men charged after Miami Gardens gas-station carjacking left victim over 65 with brain bleeding

What investigators say happened

Two men were arrested Saturday and accused of attacking an elderly man and stealing his pickup truck during a violent encounter at a Miami Gardens gas station, according to police records.

Officers responded shortly after 8:45 a.m. on March 7, 2026, to the Marathon gas station at 4699 NW 183 St. They found a man older than 65 with visible injuries, including a laceration above his right eyebrow and significant swelling around his right eye. Medical staff later reported severe injuries to the man’s head and neck, including bleeding on the brain.

The victim was flown by rescue personnel to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, police said.

Arrests and recovery of the stolen truck

At about 5 p.m. the same day, deputies located the stolen vehicle, described as a white 1987 GMC pickup truck, near the area of Northwest Seventh Avenue and 109th Street. Authorities reported the truck had three occupants at the time it was found; two of them were later identified as the suspects in the carjacking.

The men arrested were identified as Christian Sarmiento, 27, and Ktwon Bailey, 33. Both were booked later that night at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Surveillance video and the sequence at the gas station

Investigators said surveillance video captured the confrontation at the gas station. Police allege the two men approached the victim and asked for money. When the victim said he did not have money to give, authorities say the suspects beat him and took his truck.

Police reported the video shows the men blocking the victim from entering the store and preventing him from leaving the location in his vehicle. The footage was cited in arrest documents as key evidence supporting the allegations of force and restraint.

Police reports describe the suspects as preventing the victim from entering the store and stopping him from driving away.

Charges filed

• Sarmiento is charged with third-degree grand theft auto, attempted murder, false imprisonment, aggravated battery during a robbery and carjacking, and aggravated battery on a person older than 65.

• Bailey is charged with resisting an officer without violence, attempted murder, false imprisonment, aggravated battery during a robbery and carjacking, aggravated battery on a person older than 65, and trespassing after warning.

Trespass warning detail

Police said Bailey previously received a trespass warning at the same gas station. Investigators allege the warning prohibited him from returning to the property until May 30, and that surveillance video placed him there during the incident.

The case remains pending in the criminal court system. No additional details about the victim’s identity or current condition were released in the records reviewed.