South Florida landmark The Tamiami Trail Arch demolished
MIAMI - The Tamiami Trail arch has been a landmark for those in southwest Miami Dade for decades, but the 60-year-old structure was suddenly torn down.
The 70-foot arch has had a strange history over the years.
"There is a recurring theme of strange things happening at the arch," said Jason Katz, a journalist with the Islandia Journal.
Katz found records that show that the arches were built in 1962. It was supposed to be an entryway for an industrial park, but it never happened.
Over the years, the empty lot became a hangout for those in the area, but in 1976 notorious serial killer Samuel Little made a stop in South Florida. Police found one of his victims, Miriam Chapman, 25, dead in the lot.
That wasn't the only thing these arches have seen.
In 1979, a Hialeah man named Filiberto Cardenas said he was abducted by aliens and was dropped off under those arches.
"[He said he]] gets abducted by an alien spacecraft, gets taken to an underwater base, and when he comes to, he's underneath the arch," says Katz. "So I thought there was some strange energy that pulled people here"
Despite its unique history, the structure was unexpectedly taken down.
CBS4 reached out to the Miccosukee Tribe to see what plans they have for that land but have yet to get a response.