Shocked neighbors react to killing of grandpa during Little Havana robbery
LITTLE HAVANA - Police are investigating the shooting death of a grandpa who was killed Thursday morning in front of his granddaughter during a burglary.
On Thursday night, police and crime scene investigators swarmed an apartment on SW 4th Street.
The building directly behind it is where a burglary turned murder happened hours before.
With a broom and a hose, neighbors washed blood off the bottom of the staircase of this apartment complex on SW 5th Street.
"I walked out, and I see a man lying on the ground. Afterwards, I just like I panicked. We called 911 and we saw the man who shot him running," said one neighbor.
According to police, a girl was home alone at an apartment complex, when a man broke in around 8 a.m. Thursday morning.
Police say that girl called her mom for help, and her mom called her grandfather who lives nearby and told him to go over.
Police say when the grandfather confronted the suspect inside the apartment, they got into a scuffle and then the suspect shot him and took off.
"I heard the girl across the street screaming for help rapidly. So, I hung up the phone really quick, I run across the street, and then right over by the staircase there. I guess her grandfather was shot in the stomach a couple times and was on his back, not moving and bleeding," said Nate Chapman, a neighbor who was the first person on the scene.
Despite efforts from first responders, the grandfather, described by a police as a man in his 60s, died.
Neighbors tell us the girl is about 12 years old.
For hours, police scoured the apartment complex for clues, dusting for fingerprints and leaving with bags of evidence.
City of Miami police confirmed that there is an investigation happening on the next street over, but have not said if the two investigations are related.
Witnesses tell CBS News Miami the suspect was wearing a ski mask, shorts, a short sleeve shirt and flip flops at the time of the murder.
The identity of the victim has not yet been released.
Police are asking anyone who has any information to come forward.