Authorities Locate Vehicle Connected To Miami Beach Homicide
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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – After uncovering a big clue in the case of a deadly shooting on Miami Beach, police may have found their man.
Authorities had been searching for a white Honda Accord that was used in the homicide of 29-year-old Kamil Patel.
He was shot and killed in front of his girlfriend as they walked around Miami Beach last Thursday night.
On Tuesday police located the vehicle and shortly after said they had a man in custody in connection to the stolen car.
It was found parked in an outdoor lot located at Northwest 32nd Street and 12th Avenue in Northwest Miami-Dade County.
"It is a 2017 Honda Accord 4-door that was last seen with a Florida tag of CCP 4319," said Miami Beach Police Chief Dan Oates on Monday. "This is chilling video of the couple walking down the street being followed by a car."
The video he mentions is surveillance footage that police released Monday.
It shows the couple walking down the street near the time of the shooting and the vehicle used by the suspect can be seen following them.
Police say it's the same vehicle captured Friday on surveillance tape and seen leaving Espanola Way and turning south on Washington Avenue while moving on the wrong side of the street.
Oates revealed Monday that the car belongs to a missing Miami-Dade man.
"The car was last known to be with Orestes Marrero who was reported missing by his family and this case is being handled by Miami-Dade Police," said Oates.
However, according to Miami-Dade Police Marrero did not meet the criteria for a missing person and they were never searching for him nor are they currently.
It's not known why Patel was shot or if Marrero was involved.
"We are not going to speculate on the motive for the shooting," Oates said.
Police say they are looking for a thin black male with medium length dreadlocks. It is not known if that matches the description of the man in custody.
There is currently a $13,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in this case.
"We are appealing to all of your viewers to help us and there is now a $13,000 reward that we have accumulated," Oates said. "That's $3,000 from Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers and $5,000 from Miami Beach police and an additional $5,000 from Prada, where the victim worked."
"We're hoping that will lead to some tips in this case," he added. "This is not the sort of thing that happens on Miami Beach."
Anyone with information should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.