Children Believe Case Of Mistaken Identity Led To Father's Murder
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HALLANDALE BEACH (CBSMiami) – Two children, who believe their father was mistaken for someone else, made a passionate plea Thursday night for help finding the person responsible for his murder.
Ollie Mingo's son and daughter told CBS4's Carey Codd they were driving along NW 7th Avenue in Hallandale Beach last Wednesday evening.
They wanted to check out a new community center and they stopped here to watch some people dancing and having a good time.
Then for some reason someone fired a shot that took the life of their beloved father.
"Killing somebody, that's something they gonna have to life with," Olliyah Mingo said.
Olliyah wanted to talk about her father, but she asked us not to show her face.
"As we passed them, they was looking at the car and we was looking at them," explained, "and once we passed the car, they shot at the car."
Olliyah said a bullet hit her dad, sitting next to her, and another bullet hit their car.
"My dad was a good guy. I don't think they wanted to harm him. They probably thought he was someone else and got us mistaken for someone else and shot," Olliyah said.
As he father lay dying, Olliyah had to act.
"I had to grab the wheel and make us crash cause we would've rolled out into the road," she said.
Olliyah and her brother ran from the car to get help at a nearby community center, but it was too late.
Her brother also asked us not to show his face. He hopes someone is held accountable for the crime.
"They should turn thyself in, or if they know who did it, they should tell cause that's not right just to kill somebody out here," he said.
Olliyah and the younger Ollie said their dad worked hard at his sale job, and spent tons of time with them, teaching them good values and morals.
Olliyah said they are struggling to deal with what they witnessed and the grief of their father's death. But there is one moment for her that sticks out.
"He was happy when it occurred. We actually was laughing, dad was having a good time right before it happened," she said.
