UAP EP 230 Cold Case Files vol.1 - The Miami Mall Incident

September 17, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On New Year’s Day 2024, a massive police response descended on the Bayside Marketplace in downtown Miami—dozens of cruisers, helicopters overhead, reports of federal agents on scene. The official story was straightforward: rowdy teenagers setting off fireworks sparked a panic, people mistook the sound for gunfire, and the whole thing snowballed. But almost immediately, a different story began circulating on social media. Witnesses claimed they had seen something else entirely inside the mall: eight-to-ten-foot-tall shadowy figures, creatures that seemed to phase in and out of reality, emerging from portals. The incident became a viral sensation, then, within weeks, it largely disappeared from public conversation—no clear answers, no official follow-up, just a lingering set of unresolved questions. That is why UAP host Steven Deener chose this case as the first volume of his new “Cold Case Files” series, revisiting high-profile UAP events that flared up and then faded without resolution.

The official story and the gap it leaves

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What you'll learn

1 (02:09) **Episode Introduction & Cold Case Files Concept** - Host Steven Deener launches a new series called "Cold Case Files," revisiting UAP stories that dominated social media then faded without resolution, starting with the Miami Mall incident.
2 (04:08) **The Official Story: New Year's Day Chaos** - The host sets the scene for January 1st, 2024, at Bayside Marketplace, detailing the mainstream explanation of the event.
3 (04:53) **The Alien Rumors Emerge** - The core mystery is introduced: rumors of 8-10 foot tall, dark, shadowy creatures, some described as emerging from portals, began swirling among those inside the mall.
4 (12:21) **Firsthand Eyewitness Account: The "Supernatural" Mix** - A witness describes the chaos of the fights and fireworks, but then claims to have seen "shadowy, dark, solid shapes" that were "taller than me" and "not human."
5 (18:43) **The Missing Footage: Phone Confiscation & EMPs** - Deener explores the central controversy of why no video of the aliens exists, presenting two conflicting explanations from witnesses.
6 (22:10) **The "Disintegrated Phone" Report** - A witness claims a phone was disintegrated, leaving an "unexplained ash pile," a detail Deener investigates to find its origin in official police records.
7 (27:22) **The Cop's Son Phone Call: A Damning Leak** - Deener presents a key piece of evidence: a TikTok video of a man named Brendan De La Rua calling his father, a Miami-Dade police officer running for sheriff, about the incident.

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Guests on this episode

Steven Deener

Show Notes

Do you ever wonder what happened to some of the biggest UFO stories that just seemed to disappear off the headlines? Well, you're not alone. Join Stephen Diener as he revisits some of the most mysterious extra terrestrial events in recent history as we begin a fresh look into some of these cold cases. First up, the 2024 Miami Mall incident...

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