A 50-year-old man from Florida is accused of intentionally setting off an explosive device in his vehicle, tragically killing his wife who was inside at the time, according to authorities.
Neighborhood shook by explosive device
The shocking incident unfolded on February 1 in Miami-Dade County as captured by home doorbell cameras, NBC 6 News reported last week.
The blast, which occurred just before dawn, shattered the Hialeah Gardens neighborhood’s peace. Witness accounts describe the deafening noise and chaos that followed.
“I get up, and I was like, what’s happening? Because the explosion was too, too, too loud,” a resident, Miguel Hernandez, stated when recounting the experience.
He added that police and firefighters were promptly contacted but admitted, “I did not know that someone was inside the burning car.”
Similarly, another neighbor, Jose Rodriguez, remarked, “Well, I heard a loud boom. The neighbors, about 20 or 30 seconds later, come out, and then I heard the police sirens approaching. One of the neighbors came by and said that there was a woman that had gotten burned.”
NBC Miami footage later revealed emergency crews battling the raging fire and setting up privacy tarps around a grim discovery—the charred remains of a person found inside the vehicle’s passenger seat. Investigators subsequently identified the circumstances as a deliberate act.
Police discover explosion was deliberate
Law enforcement pointed to Noel Ruiz Mestre, the victim’s husband, as the suspect behind what they believe was an intentional explosion.
Evidence of a makeshift explosive device was reportedly recovered near the blast site, leading to charges of arson alongside second-degree murder.
Leading up to the explosion, authorities uncovered troubling details. Reports referenced an intense argument that escalated inside the car.
Allegedly, when the wife attempted to leave the vehicle, she found herself unable to exit—and the quarrel continued to spiral. Investigators allege that Mestre then stepped out of the car, ignited the explosion, and left the scene.
Further disturbing actions were uncovered following the explosion. Mestre reportedly returned to his home, disposed of his burned clothes, and inflicted self-harm by stabbing himself in the stomach with a knife.
He then dialed 9-1-1, apparently seeking medical help for his injuries. According to officials, Mestre will face trial after he recovers from his wounds and is discharged from the hospital.
Man blows up home of woman he met online with explosive device
The horrifying incident in Florida comes on the heels of another bomb-related crime. A Georgia man, Stephen Glosser, aged 38, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after admitting his role in a twisted plot involving explosives and other sick intentions.
Glosser was charged with using an explosive during a felony and engaging in stalking. He conspired with his roommate, Caleb Kinsey, to terrorize a woman Glosser had briefly interacted with on a dating app.
Authorities said that the relationship between Glosser and the victim was brief, with their interaction limited to a “quasi-relationship” that ended poorly.
Following a short-lived and deteriorated online connection, the duo allegedly brainstormed numerous cruel plots against the woman.
Court documents outlined staggeringly bizarre and macabre plans that included leaving arrows stuck in her front door, releasing a python into her home to harm her child, and mailing both animal feces and dead rats to torment her.
The charges also documented discussions of scalping the victim and ultimately blowing up her house, which prosecutors say the men intended as the culmination of their efforts.
On January 13, 2023, Glosser and Kinsey took real steps to enact their ruthless plan. The pair reportedly pinpointed the woman’s residence in Richmond Hill, Georgia, through online searches based on a photo Glosser had received during their brief acquaintanceship.
Using materials including Tannerite, a legal explosive primarily used for rifle targets, the duo allegedly designed and set off a bomb that destroyed part of the victim’s home.
Amazingly, despite the targeted attack on her home while she and her child were present, the victim and her daughter managed to survive the explosion unscathed—a point authorities described as nothing short of miraculous.
Adding to their reckless missteps, Glosser reportedly attempted to sanitize any evidence of his involvement. According to the
Department of Justice, he hired a professional carpet cleaning service to remove residue from bomb-making activities.
These actions failed to cover his trail, and the evidence sealed not only his arrest but also an outcome of two consecutive 20-year sentences handed down last week by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker.
