A quiet Tuesday afternoon nap turned into the most terrifying moments of one Miami woman’s life — and the man responsible is someone she trusted.
Erick LaPlante, 33, allegedly stormed into his girlfriend’s bedroom while she was sleeping alongside her infant daughter, snatched her phone off the bed, and demanded she unlock it. What happened over the next several minutes, according to police, was nothing short of a calculated act of terror.
LaPlante allegedly forced the barrel of a loaded gun into the woman’s mouth and told her: “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you.”
According to a probable cause affidavit, LaPlante grew enraged after suspecting his girlfriend had been in contact with another man. But jealousy, cops say, quickly escalated into something far more dangerous. After scrolling through her phone, he slammed her to the ground, pinned her arms against her neck, and cut off her ability to breathe.
When she gasped that she couldn’t breathe, LaPlante reportedly looked down at her and said one word: “Good.”
He then pointed the firearm directly at her and fired. The bullet narrowly missed her — with her baby just feet away. Rather than show remorse, LaPlante allegedly picked up the shell casing, held it in front of her face, and said: “You see this. You see I’m not playing.”
The assault didn’t stop there. Police say he pistol-whipped her across her body and face, opening a cut on her lip, and choked her until she feared she was losing consciousness.
The moment that saved her life: Her sister arrived at the apartment. LaPlante allegedly ordered the victim into the shower to hide her injuries — but she grabbed her baby and ran straight to her sister, who rushed her out and called 911.
Officers arrested LaPlante shortly after and booked him into Miami-Dade County Jail. He is currently being held without bond.
He faces a list of serious charges: attempted murder, armed robbery, battery by strangulation, and aggravated assault.
What This Means: With a near-miss gunshot, a baby as a witness, physical evidence of strangulation, and a firearm recovered at the scene, prosecutors have a strong case. LaPlante’s no-bond status signals the court views him as a serious danger to the community.
She escaped with her baby and her life. But for several minutes inside that Miami apartment, both were entirely in the hands of a man holding a loaded gun — and he made sure she knew it.
