Police: Suspect Killed Because Man "Didn't Look Scared Enough"
MIAMI GARDENS (CBS4) - The mothers of two young people who were gunned down in July at a Miami Gardens gas station say they are more troubled than ever after hearing new details in this case.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle revealed that one suspect, 16-year-old Eric Ellington, confessed that he shot 23-year-old Julian Soler multiple times because "he didn't look scared enough."
The county's top prosecutor made the comments at a news conference at Miami Gardens Police headquarters as police released new information about this case and Fernandez Rundle and Mayor Shrley Gibson commended the tenacity of police in this case.
The mothers of the victims also spoke out for the first time since police announced the latest arrests in this case.
The crime happened at 12:38 a.m. on July 25th at a Mobil gas station off the Palmetto Expressway at Northwest 57th Avenue. Surveillance video captured the incident.
Soler and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Kennia Durran, were ambushed and forced out of Soler's 1997 Ford Mustand Cobra and shot, even though they had their hands up. It was an attempted robbery but nothing was stolen. Soler died at the scene and Durran was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital where she died.
"My daughter loved life, she loved her son and she always wanted to help people," said Jacqueline Serra, who is Durran's mother. "There are people walking around with no respect for life and as the mothers of the victims, this is very hard. This has been very difficult. This was senseless. There was no reason for this.
"I don't understand why this happened," said Janine Diaz, who is Soler's mother. "He did everything you're supposed to do. He remained calm and this all backfired. I think about this every day. This was a kind kid. He was always helping his grandmother. He was always helping his grandfather. I am very grateful to police for making the arrests."
"These were innocent victims," said Fernandez Rundle. "The victims got out of the car with their hands out and still they were shot. This was cold blooded. These people are predators."
"There are no words you can express for these mothers," she said. "I am a mother and I can't understand this. My heart goes out to them."
Fernandez Rundle and Mayor Shirley Gibson commended the work of Police gathering forensic evidence and building a case after suspect Eric Ellington named two accomplices and after his fingerprints were found on Soler's car.
"They did a superb job," said Fernandez Rundle. "Their detective work was exceptional."
Police say 16-year-old Wayne Williams was also charged with first degree murder, along with the driver, 18-year-old Dylan McFarlane. They say Williams was the suspect who shot and killed Durran.
Fernandez Rundle said because the accused gunmen are juveniles, the state could not seek the death penalty in this case.
Mayor Gibson also credited police for their work in solving the murder of 58-year-old gas station owner Shaid Mahmood, who was shot and killed August 11th while sitting in his car. He was planning to go home to Miramar.
Police arrested Damu Bridgewater, a regular customer who had just turned 15 on July 25th. They say Bridgewater shot Mahmood in an attempted robbery after repeatedly shouting "Give it up, give it up."
Bridgewater also got away with nothing. Mahmood had run the gas station for only 8 months with a partner.
