RAW: Police are hoping new surveillance video will help them find a suspect sought in connection with the killings of two homeless people in Miami-Dade earlier this year.
Police are hoping new surveillance video will help them find a suspect sought in connection with the killings of two homeless people in Miami-Dade earlier this year.
The first killing happened in the early morning hours of Jan. 9 near Northwest 17th Avenue at 28th Street in Allapattah.
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A woman, identified as 60-year-old Marie Noel, was found shot to death in a grassy area, Miami Police officials said.
Just one day later, Miami-Dade Police said 61-year-old Bradley Griffith was shot and killed just a few blocks away, in the area of Northwest 38th Street and 22nd Avenue.
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Police said Griffith wasn't robbed, and appeared to be sleeping under a tree.
"There was no reason why anyone would do this to him," Miami-Dade Police Det. Melanie Ginoris said.
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Police on Thursday released surveillance footage of a man believed to be responsible for both killings.
He's described as 20-30 years old, 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10, with a medium build and dark hair/goatee.
"We were able to determine that they're linked, based off of Shot Spotters that were received on both scenes," Ginoris said.
Miami and Miami-Dade Police are working together to try to determine a motive for the shootings.
"At the moment it seems random, and as of right now it has not occurred again. It has been two isolated incidents that we know of, we have continued to monitor every case that has come in and right now it's just those two," Ginoris said. "We don't know why, we're hoping with the assistance of the community that we'll be able to find the suspect and find out why, but as of right now, they're just two random incidents."
Ron Book, the chair of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, said he was pleased police were making the case a priority.
"There is no more heinous crime than bringing harm to any of the most vulnerable members of our community," Book said in a statement. "All of us have an obligation to step up and protect people experiencing homelessness, and, in situations like this, we must help bring the person who committed this horrible crime to justice."
A reward of $9,500 is being offered in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
