Police said the suspect did not know the group before a parking-lot confrontation in Homestead.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — A 34-year-old woman was jailed without bond after police said she drove up to three women outside a Homestead restaurant, argued with them and fired two shots, wounding two of them after a night out.

Samantha Renee Morales faces felony charges after the April 17 shooting outside Dr. Limon Ceviche Bar in the Homestead Pavilion shopping plaza. Police said the encounter began with a short exchange between strangers and ended with two women taken to a hospital in stable condition. Morales remained in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after a judge denied bond.

The women had walked out of the restaurant at 2508 NE 10th Court and were saying goodbye when a black Tesla pulled up near them, according to police accounts of the arrest report. Investigators said Morales, who was driving, asked the women whether they were good. One woman answered, “Yes, we good. Are you good?” Police said Morales then replied with an insult and said it looked as if the women had a problem. A witness told investigators Morales opened her car door and asked, “What are you gonna do about it?” The exchange moved fast, with voices rising outside the restaurant as other people remained nearby in the shopping center.

Police said one witness warned the women to move away because Morales had a gun. Investigators said Morales fired two shots during the confrontation, striking two of the women. A third woman then lunged at Morales in an effort to knock the weapon away, according to the arrest report. Officers arrived as a physical struggle was underway and separated Morales from the women. Police have not released the names of the women who were shot, their ages or the exact nature of their injuries. Local reports said both wounded women were stable after being taken for medical care.

The shooting drew attention because police described the women and Morales as strangers. The group had been at Dr. Limon, a ceviche restaurant in a busy plaza near other businesses, before the confrontation spilled into the parking area. Investigators did not describe any earlier dispute inside the restaurant or any known connection among the women. The arrest report instead centered on the brief conversation outside and the warning from a witness who noticed the gun. Morales later told police she did not remember what happened, except that she was “fighting for her life,” according to investigators. Police said she also reported having three alcoholic beverages before the shooting.

Morales was charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, one count tied to use of a firearm and two misdemeanors. Court records cited in local reports listed her as Samantha Renee Morales. A judge ordered her held without bond during a Monday hearing after the shooting. She was scheduled for another court appearance the following Wednesday, with arraignment set for May 18. Prosecutors had not publicly released a full account of the evidence beyond the arrest report, and police had not announced whether surveillance video, shell casings or the firearm would be part of the next court filings.

In the minutes after the gunfire, the shopping-plaza scene shifted from a routine Friday night to an active police response. Officers found two women suffering from gunshot wounds in the 2400 block of Northeast 10th Court, according to reports from Homestead police. Emergency crews took the injured women to a hospital while officers detained Morales at the scene. The restaurant sits in a commercial area where diners and workers move between storefronts, parking lanes and patios. Witness accounts described a sudden confrontation that began with a question and became violent before most people could understand what was happening.

The case now moves through Miami-Dade County court while police continue to review the shooting. Morales remained jailed without bond, and the next major step listed in reports was her May 18 arraignment.

Author note: Last updated May 17, 2026.