Clean-Up Crew Removes Mattress From Murdered UM Student's Apartment
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) —- There were sobering and striking images Wednesday at the condominium and rental complex where the body of a 23-year-old University of Miami student was discovered on Sunday afternoon.
CBS4 was at the Santona condo and rental complex across U.S. One from the UM as a crew from Bioresponse including a man wearing a biohazardous white suit entered the apartment of 23-year-old Yasser Abual Faraj—-a 3rd-year architecture student from Saudi Arabia—and they left with a mattress and three plastic bags.
The crew was not able to say why those materials were removed but Miami-Dade police have said it was a gruesome scene with multiple signs of trauma after Abual Faraj was discovered by his roommate at 3:44 Sunday afternoon.
CBS4 was also on the scene as Miami-Dade police detectives returned and once again entered apartment number 40 on the 3rd floor. It is the same apartment that was dusted for fingerprints on Monday night. And it is one floor above the apartment where the student lived in apartment number 20.
Detectives told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that they were looking for evidence but could not say what was removed. They also said they were looking for surveillance tape.
D'Oench also learned that South Miami Police Chief Rene Landa is passing out a flyer from Miami-Dade Police in which a sketch of a person of interest is featured. That sketch shows a man who was seen in the early morning hours at the complex at 6580 Santona Street and the flyer says he was involved in a "suspicious incident." Police say the man is wanted for questioning only.
Landa said, "As agencies, we all work together and when we get information like this in a BOLO, a be on the lookout, especially with information like this we spread it out."
"This is a very good sketch," said Landa. "The features are incredible. We need to get this out. The media is getting this out. If you look this I turn, someone has to know this gentleman. Somebody is going to recognize him and this could be the tip that we are looking for."
"With a murder like this we need to get this person off the street," he said. "Sometimes in such cases when you look at the angles, and you look at the person it often appears that the person who did this knew him and that this was a crime of passion, particularly with the extra blows. This was a very violent murder."
At the condominium complex, residents said they had not seen the man seen in the sketch and said they were on edge.
Liza Khmara, a graduate student at the UM, said, "I am a young girl. I have a roommate who is not here this week. I have not been sleeping here. I have a very uneasy feeling. You want to be safe where you live."
Amanda Guimares, another resident, said "I feel very insecure. I live here with my daughter who is 2 years old. I am really scared."
There are heavy hearts on the UM campus. CBS4 was there Tuesday night as students gathered at a candlelight vigil for the student.
Miami-Dade Police say anyone with information should call them at (305) 471-TIPS (8477). There is a reward of up to $3,000.