Joshua James King: Metromover Attack, Bond, and County Lawsuit

Joshua James King is the Miami man charged with battery and aggravated battery after a September 4, 2020 attack on three passengers aboard the Miami Metromover. The assault, captured on surveillance video, drew national attention both for its severity and for King’s release on a $1,500 bond days later. The Joshua James King Metromover attack also triggered a civil lawsuit against Miami-Dade County and its transit security contractor, and prompted a broad security overhaul across the county’s transit system.

What Happened on the Metromover

Around 10:45 p.m. on September 4, 2020, King boarded the Metromover at the Fifth Street Station in Brickell.¹ He was 25 years old, six feet two inches tall, and 210 pounds. His first victim, Andrea Puerta, was a 25-year-old dog walker who stood five-foot-three and weighed 125 pounds.

Surveillance footage showed King launching an unprovoked attack on Puerta, punching her more than 20 times and throwing her head-first into a seat.¹ He threw her against the side of the train car and kicked her in the head.² Puerta suffered a concussion, a broken rib, a swollen and injured jaw, a black eye, bruised arms, and severe back pain, and she was unable to open her mouth properly for a week.³

Minutes later, King attacked two male passengers on the same system.⁴ When police arrested him, they found a fully loaded Glock magazine containing 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition in his pocket. No firearm was recovered.⁵

The Charges and the $1,500 Bond

King was charged with battery and aggravated battery.³ After his arrest he was involuntarily hospitalized in Delray Beach under Florida’s Baker Act, which permits emergency commitment of people showing signs of mental illness, and he was subsequently released on a $1,500 bond.⁵

The bond amount drew public outrage. Curt D. Obront, the attorney representing Puerta, said he was “outraged” and “shocked” that King had been released on “such low bond” and was free to “roam the streets” after allegedly attacking multiple people.³ Obront asked the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to revoke the bond and upgrade the charges to attempted murder.¹

The State Attorney’s Office said King had received standard bond because he was a first-time offender with no prior criminal record beyond a 2015 traffic offense.¹ Prosecutors later moved to revoke the bond after the surveillance video was made public. Judge Alberto Milian denied immediate revocation, noting that King had no prior criminal history and that the charges were not among the offenses Florida law designates as non-bondable, so he remained entitled to bond under the presumption of innocence.⁵

Mental Health Rulings and Conditions of Release

Mental health quickly became central to the case. King’s defense attorney, Julian Stroleny, said King had previously been committed in Delray Beach and that psychiatrists had offered an “impression of schizophrenia.”⁴

At a virtual hearing on September 30, 2020, Judge Milian allowed King to remain out of jail but imposed conditions. King was ordered to undergo two mental evaluations by court-appointed psychologists, attend weekly treatment sessions, and wear a GPS ankle monitor.⁵ The judge also entered a stay-away order barring any contact with Puerta. King was directed to live with his parents in Tallahassee and be monitored by Leon County authorities while the evaluations were completed.⁶

The prosecution’s motion to revoke bond was placed on hold pending the evaluations, with a follow-up hearing set for October 14, 2020.⁵ At that October hearing, a judge found King competent to stand trial and ordered him to continue his medication and remain in Leon County.⁷

The Civil Lawsuit Against Miami-Dade County and Its Security Contractor

In September 2020, Obront announced plans to sue Miami-Dade County and the transit system’s contracted security firm, Allied Universal, questioning whether security on the Metromover was adequate. He noted that the emergency call button inside the Metromover car had been broken at the time of the attack.⁶

The formal civil complaint was filed on March 19, 2023. The case, Andrea Puerta Restrepo vs. Miami-Dade County et al, was assigned to Judge Antonio Arzola in the Miami-Dade County Courts. The defendants are Miami-Dade County, Universal Protection Service, LLC, and U.S. Security Associates, Inc. Puerta is represented by Christian Schoepp and Michael James Corey. The case remained pending as of late 2023, with recent activity including an agreed order extending case management deadlines and a hearing on a motion by U.S. Security Associates to be dismissed.⁸

Where the Case Stands

After being found competent to stand trial in October 2020, King was ordered to continue his medication and remain in Leon County under his parents’ supervision. The available records do not reflect a trial verdict, plea, or final disposition in the criminal case. Puerta’s civil suit against the county and the two security defendants was still pending in late 2023.

How the Attack Changed Metromover Security

The King assault, followed by a second Metromover attack later that month, forced a rethinking of transit security in Miami-Dade. Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced an increase in stationary and roving security guards across the system.³ Transit Director Alice Bravo confirmed additional personnel at stations and throughout the system, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez pledged both undercover and uniformed officers to supplement transit security.⁹

Police Director Freddy Ramirez assigned two permanent priority response teams to ride the rails and patrol platforms. The county installed additional cameras, integrated platform feeds into the department’s real-time crime center, added signage warning riders they were being recorded, and tested an artificial intelligence program to help monitor the feeds.¹⁰ On October 26, 2020, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved legislation sponsored by Commissioner Joe A. Martinez establishing a formal operational plan for increased police presence at all 23 Metrorail stops and 21 Metromover stops.¹¹

1
Local 10 News. Out on Bond, Attorney Asks Why About Man Who Attacked 3 on Metromover
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CBS News Miami. Miami Metromover Security Increased
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NBC Miami. Victims in Miami Metromover Attacks Plan to File Lawsuits
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NBC Miami. Video Shows Man Attacking Two Men After Beating Woman on Metromover
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Local 10 News. Accused Metromover Attacker to Remain Out on Bond Pending Mental Evaluations
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CBS News Miami. Victim of Metromover Attack Plans Lawsuit
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NBC Miami. Elderly Man Assaulted on Metromover Suing Security Company
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UniCourt. Andrea Puerta Restrepo vs. Miami-Dade County et al
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Local 10 News. Miami Metromover Attacks Unrelated but Deeply Concerning, Police Director Says
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NBC Miami. Police Adding Security, Hope to Address Underlying Issues After Metromover Attacks
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Community Newspapers. More Police to Be Assigned to Metrorail, Metromover Stations