Second arrest made in connection with Republican canvasser attack in Hialeah, cops say
A second man has been arrested in connection with an attack in Hialeah that sent a Republican voting canvasser to the hospital.
Jonathan Alexander Casanova, 26, was arrested Tuesday at Pine Tree Park in Miami Beach in connection with the assault of Christopher Monzon, 27, who was passing out fliers for Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Sunday near 140 E. 60th St., just south of Amelia Earhart Park, according to Hialeah police.
Police said Monzon got into an argument with Casanova and Javier Lopez, 25, who were blocking the sidewalk. Police said Monzon was slammed to the ground by Lopez, who repeatedly punched him. Casanova kicked him in the head, police said.
When Casanova was pulled away by a witness, he went to his white 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB to get two German shepherds, who he commanded to attack a still-on-the-ground Monzon, according to his arrest affidavit.
The attack left Monzon hospitalized with a “fractured orbital bone, nasal/sinus fractures” and other injuries, police said.
Monzon is vice president of the Miami Springs Republican Club and a former candidate for Hialeah City Council, and has former ties to a white nationalist organization. He was canvassing for the Republican Party of Florida, not Rubio’s reelection campaign, a spokesperson for the senator’s campaign told the Miami Herald.
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Police said neighbors eventually separated the men. By the time officers arrived, Casanova had left.
Lopez, who was on probation for other crimes, was arrested, and according to police, identified Casanova as the other attacker to investigators. Monzon also identified Casanova in a six-person photo lineup. Casanova was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated battery.
Monzon told police Casanova told him he “could not pass through because he was a Republican and his dogs were ready to attack,” according to his arrest affidavit. Monzon told investigators he walked onto the street to avoid them, and that Casanova told him, “He was not allowed to walk around his neighborhood and if he continued to do so he would shoot him,” the affidavit states. Monzon retorted that he was on public property and could be in the area.
Police said video surveillance corroborates Monzon’s sequence of events. Sunday’s attack happened in Hialeah, which is a Republican stronghold.
Casanova has already posted bond and is expected to be released later Wednesday.
Over the years, he’s had multiple arrests in Miami-Dade, records show, the most serious for armed robbery in 2016. Casanova, described in arrest report as a member of Hialeah gang known as 24th Avenue, was accused of kidnapping and robbing a man he believed was a rival at gunpoint.
In that case, Casanova pleaded guilty and accepted probation; he was granted a “withhold of adjudication,” which means it didn’t technically count as a felony conviction.
At the time, Casanova was also put on probation in Broward County for grand-theft auto. He’d been arrested after he was pulled over in Fort Lauderdale in a stolen car.
His attorney in the 2016 Miami-Dade case said he may end up representing Casanova again.
“Our office is looking forward to potentially representing Mr. Casanova. It is our position that our office intends to present a complete picture of what transpired that day and not a one-sided story as illustrated by the current reports,” Nayib Hassan said in a statement. “It is our understanding that Mr Casanova looks forward to his day in court.”
