In a heart-pounding encounter, a knife-wielding assailant faced an unexpected adversary – a former MMA competitor. Javier Baez skillfully defused the situation. This dramatic event unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday, November 1, in Cutler Bay.
Javier stated: “He got really mad. He got a knife and came running at me. Well, the rest is on video.”
At four in the morning, the tense encounter happened. Surveillance footage from the parking lot of an apartment complex captured Baez’s swift reactions.
He blocked the attacker’s advance and then effortlessly lifted him. He then brought the attacker down with precision.
Baez’s years of MMA training had honed his instincts. He said: “Second nature. When you practice every day, you don’t think about it. Put his belly to the floor, put my knee in his back, and called the cops.”
Miami-Dade Police swiftly arrested the assailant, named Omar Marrero. They have two serious charges against him.
The last moments of the altercation were captured on camera. Marrero allegedly started by grabbing a 14-inch knife and hitting the driver’s glass, according to the police report.
Baez stated: “Guy was out there screaming on the phone, literally was fighting for a while with some woman. He tapped on my door window. I told him to leave me alone, and then he came at me with a knife.”
“I told him to leave me alone. I’m calling the cops. I hope he doesn’t break my window. That’s all I cared about.”
Baez got out of the vehicle and tried to defuse the tension.
According to the investigation, Marrero ran toward Baez after taking a second huge knife and trying to cut him many times. All of these have been recorded on camera.
When asked about how his experience in mixed martial arts combat had gotten him through a perilous circumstance, he said: “I stayed calm, kept my balance, kept my composure. Didn’t bring him down and start beating on. Just took him down.”
Baez was then asked: “What do you suggest others do that may not have your training if faced with a similar situation?”
Baez replied: “Stay in the car and call the cops… or drive away.”
