A man was fatally shot during a robbery at an Allapattah laundromat, and on Monday authorities were searching for three men involved in the incident. Witness Maria Lopez and laundromat owner Rigo Diaz discussed the case.
A man was fatally shot during a robbery at a laundromat, and on Monday authorities were searching for three men involved in the incident.
It happened just before 7 p.m.Sunday in Allapattah near the corner of Northwest 16th Street and 17th Avenue.
The unidentified victim was visiting the commercial strip to do laundry at the corner laundromat and was standing next to his Black Ford F-150 when he was approached by three robbers, Miami Police said.
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"They confronted him, they asked him for his chain. They snatched it off, and as a result shot him once in the stomach," Miami Police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes said.
Witnesses said it was only after the crooks got what they wanted that one of the robbers opened fire.
"They basically beat the man up to steal his chain," said witness Maria Lopez. "After the man was on the floor, they just took the gun and shot him in the stomach."
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The owner of the laundromat said he is friendly with the victim because he's a regular.
"He comes here every week, he washes clothes. It's just very shocking," said Rigo Diaz.
Miami Police are still looking for the people responsible for sending the victim to the hospital. It is unclear If there was a getaway vehicle involved but the three men managed to get away.
"That is sad, that is depressing, how did somebody just doing their laundry...you can't even do your laundry around here," said resident Nelson Perez. "There's a lot of young people here that are looking out for the older crowd, and trying to do, maybe, steal from them."
Police will review surveillance cameras to see if video captured the crime.
Anyone with information that can help police is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
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