Police Search Home Of Gables Double Murder Suspect
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBSMiami) – Investigators have served a search warrant at the home of Jose Rojas, the man charged in the murder of two people in Coral Gables.
Miami-Dade Police obtained a warrant and searched for evidence Friday at the Rojas home in the area of SW 147th Place and 30th Street in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Neighbors said investigators have been at the home several times recently.
"The police have been coming off and on every day since that incident," said Mayra Smalley, who lives two doors down from the Rojas.
It was one week ago that police say Rojas attacked his boss, business owner Frances Venezia and his co-worker Robert James.
Coral Gables officers were called to the office building at 801 Monterrey Friday, April 27th, after getting calls from people in the building who had heard screams for help.
According to the arrest affidavit, Rojas arrived at the building and waited for Venezia and James to arrive.
Rojas admitted to police he bound them in duct tape and forced Venezia to call her financial institution and write him a check from her checking account, according to the report. He also reportedly admitted to striking Venezia over the head with the mop handle after she and James began to yell for help.
According to investigators, Rojas tortured and killed them both.
The murders took place in the office of Professional Public Adjusters, owned by Venezia.
However, Venezia's partnership with Rojas was tied to a second business, Certified Inventory Services, LLC, where Rojas serves as vice president, according to the company website.
He was taken into custody shortly after the murders when police followed a trail of blood into a Sedano's supermarket parking lot across the street. He was dressed in bloody clothes, said police.
Rojas reportedly told detectives he stopped at a store on the way to the office building to pick up the items he used to torture Venezia and James.
Rojas is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed kidnapping and one count of attempted armed robbery.
He remains in jail without bond.
Police left Rojas' home after about ten hours of searching. The search warrant served Friday is not yet public. It's unknown if police are looking for something specific or just gathering evidence.
Smalley said she doesn't know Rojas, but find the situation disturbing.
"You don't even know who your neighbors are," Smalley said.
