HOMESTEAD, Fla. — A domestic violence suspect used an AK-47 to shoot at park rangers Sunday at Everglades National Park, according to a federal complaint.
Drew Sikes, 37, of Palmetto Bay, is facing charges of attempted murder on a U.S. officer and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to a federal criminal complaint, rangers were called to a domestic altercation at the park Sunday afternoon. The victim told rangers that her husband, who was no longer there, had beaten her.
She told rangers that Sikes "had held her for days and told her he was going to kill her."
Sikes, who had been arrested earlier in the month on an aggravated assault charge, was released on bond March 21 and had a court order to stay away from the victim.
According to the complaint, rangers spotted Sikes' empty van parked on the side of a road at the park and used an intercom to notify Sikes of their presence when they "heard a string of gunfire and felt the rounds traveling above their heads."
As the rangers tried to get Sikes to come out of the nearby woods, Sikes continued "shooting sporadically" and screamed, "I want you guys to kill me."
Eventually, Miami-Dade police arrived and took over negotiations. After more than an hour, Sikes eventually came out of the woods emptyhanded and was taken into custody.
According to the complaint, Sikes admitted to going into the woods with an AK-47 and firing about 50 rounds at rangers. Sikes said he left the AK-47 in the woods.
