Top Stories

by Shomari Stone
MIAMI (CBS4) ― The cartoonist for El Nuevo Herald who entered the newsroom Friday afternoon with a fake machine gun, proclaiming himself the new editor, was taken into police custody and charged with three counts of aggravated assault. The suspect's bond was set at $75,000 Saturday and he's set to stand trial December 15.

50-year-old Jose Varela, who worked as a freelance cartoonist for the Miami Herald's Spanish-Language publication, El Nuevo Herald, caused a standoff that lasted almost four hours at The Miami Herald Building, 1 Herald Plaza and according to witnesses, walked into the building armed with a knife and a machine gun, believed to be real by those being threatened, and made his way to the sixth floor.

CBS4'sShomari Stone spoke to Varela's wife, Marela Varela Saturday about her husband's erratic actions Friday. "I feel sad, very sad and dissapointed. I don't think it was right to do. I was shocked, especially for my kids." Varela's wife believes he will bond out in the next few days but, according to Stone, must go through a psychological evaluation before that's possible.

The couple has been seperated for a year but have remained in close contact in order to raise their two children, a 7-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl, who according to Mrs. Varela are taking the news of the situation well.

The Herald's public relations representative, Ivette Diaz told CBS4 that Varela was a fulltime employee until February when was changed to freelance status The Herald say it still considered Varela as an employee.

''You're talking with the new editor of the newspaper, and I am here to uncover the true conflicts of the newspaper. Here they ridicule the exiles, there are problems with pay,'' said the cartoonist in a telephone conversation with a reporter for El Nuevo, in an article posted in Spanish on the newspaper's website and translated into English.

When Miami Police Officers arrived, they evacuated several floors and brought in Detective Serafin Ordonez, a Miami Police Hostage negotiator, to attempt to talk Varela into surrendering peacefully.

One of the employees in the room with Varela told CBS4 that Varela pulled the gun on him and he knew it was a real gun because it had a laser pointed at his chest. He said Varela told him, "I'm not going to kill you, I have 3 rounds and they are for Humberto Castello (managing editor). "I'm the new managing editor now and Castello will know that by the end of the day."

Perez then said he told Varela that if he wasn't going to kill him, then put then he should put the gun down. Varela allegedly did and told Perez to leave and close the door his way out and to not return unless he had Castello with him.

The Herald reported that employees said the man appeared to be 'agitated', and demanded to see El Nuevo Herald's executive editor, Humberto Castelo. Employees say the man appeared to be carrying a handgun.

The newspaper said Varela entered the newsroom at about 10:40 Friday morning, dressed in camoflauge clothing. Police say he used his guns to intimidate security to gain access to the newsroom.

"He basically walked in with two weapons, that includes a machine gun, he was dressed in camouflage, and he was looking for a particular employee and said he had a problem with only the editor," Miami police spokesman Delrish Moss said after investigators talked to security personnel.

The Herald newsroom was not affected by the evacuation, and the newspaper continued operations. Approximately 12-15 people were working in the El Nuevo Herald newsroom when the man walked in, the newspaper reported.

Police set up a perimeter around the downtown building that houses the Herald and its Spanish-language publication El Nuevo Herald.

Officers took Varela into custody and later determined that the very real looking black MAC-11 type semiautomatic weapon was in fact made of plastic. Varela gave a full confession to detectives before being taken to the Miami-Dade County Jail.

It was the second situation involving a gun at the newspaper in the past year and half. In July 2005, former city commissioner Arthur E. Teele Jr. fatally shot himself in the Herald lobby after asking to speak with columnist Jim DeFede, now a CBS4 News commentator. Teele had been under investigation for corruption and was just indicted by a federal grand jury on fraud charges.

DeFede was fired for recording his telephone conversations with Teele just before the shooting without the politician's permission.

Both The Herald and El Nuevo Herald are owned by McClatchy Newspapers.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)