Miami man arrested after apparently accidentally shooting himself with stolen gun

A Miami man is facing charges after he apparently accidentally shot himself with a stolen gun and tried to claim someone else had shot him, officials said.

Joel Morales-Saez, 46, was arrested Wednesday on charges including armed burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, dealing in stolen property, tampering with physical evidence while armed and making a false report to law enforcement, Miami-Dade jail records showed.

According to an arrest report, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies had responded to as address on Northwest 81st Street and made contact with Morales-Saez, who said an unknown masked person shot him in the foot as he was washing dishes in his trailer.

Investigators found a blood trail going to a nearby trailer and obtained surveillance video that showed Morales-Saez opening the door and throwing a bag inside before returning to his trailer, the report said.

The homeowner of the other trailer said the bag, which contained a firearm, didn’t belong to her.

A records check showed the gun had previously been reported stolen, the report said.

Morales-Saez claimed he’d left his trailer to seek help before he returned to call police.

A records check showed he has five previous felony convictions for grand theft, tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm or weapon by a convicted felon, the report said.

Morales-Saez was booked into jail and appeared before a judge on Thursday, where a prosecutor spoke about the incident.

“So it looks like he may have accidentally shot himself,” the prosecutor said.

The judge ordered Morales-Saez held without bond.