MIAMI (CBSMiami) –  Jurors began deliberating Monday evening in the trial of Jason Beckman who stands accused of murdering his father, South Miami City Commissioner Jay Beckman in April 2009.

Closing arguments were underway earlier Monday.

Two former classmates of Jason said earlier in the trial that Jason had expressed hatred toward his father for years before the murder. The former classmates also testified that Jason kept a list of the people who crossed him.

Armando Torres, a former classmate of Beckman, also testified that he heard him say, on multiple occasions, that he wanted to kill his father.

“Sometimes he would direct those [comments] to me and sometimes to other people,” Torres said. “He didn’t like him very much, hateful, I would say.”

The state’s star witness, Lisa Syren, told jurors previously that Beckman showed her the shotgun that he was going to use on his father a week before the killing, according to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald.

“Jason then told me how he was going to kill his dad and make it look like self-defense,” she told jurors.

Prosecutors also introduced a jailhouse informant who said Beckman admitted to shooting his father. The informant said the killing happened after the father made a joke about Jason while the younger Beckman showed a picture of actress Megan Fox.

The informant said Jay Beckman told his son “he wouldn’t know what to do with that,” and that the comment enraged Beckman, according to the Herald.

Members of the jury will not hear testimony about Beckman’s Aspergers, a form of autism. The judge won’t permit it and the defense lost a mistrial motion earlier in the trial as Judge Rodney Smith refused to allow testimony about the defendant’s mental deficiency.

The state will not show jurors Beckman’s taped statement to police because it does not support their theory of a planned murder, and allegedly reveals the odd vocal tones and speech patterns associated with the defendant’s Asperger’s syndrome.

Jason Beckman, now 21, is charged with first-degree murder and is facing life in prison if convicted.

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami-Dade County grand jury has indicted Anthawn Ragan, Jr. for first-degree murder for the shooting death of 10-year-old Aaron Vu.

The shooting took place while Ragan and another suspect that hasn’t been found were committing an armed robbery of a North Dade nail salon. The alleged thieves were running out the door when one turned around and fired a shot, which hit and killed Vu.

According the arrest form, Ragan tried to hide under the covers in a back bedroom. When he was taken into custody, police said he was violent, prompting an additional charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.

A source told CBS4’s Jim Defede, Ragan has been arrested before for armed robbery, but the state dropped the charges. The source said officers from another jurisdiction also interviewed Ragan about another robbery.

Ragan has also been connected to the murder last month of a 21-year-old man.

“He’s heartless and he is cold-blooded and he doesn’t hesitate to take anyone’s life,” said North Miami Police Major Neal Cuevas after Ragan was charged with first degree murder in the death of Luis Perez and possession of a firearm by a violent career criminal.

Cuevas told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench that two good witnesses in the latest crime and surveillance tape helped police connect Ragan to Perez’s murder.

According to an arrest report, the three gunmen who fired at Perez were looking for him when they met him at 12:02 a.m. at a Motel 7 at 13445 N.W. 7th Ave. Perez was returning to his room on the 2nd floor.

Police say Perez was shot multiple times at point-blank range and the gunmen continued firing while Perez was on the ground. The report notes that Ragan fired two of the shots.

Police say Ragan was captured on the surveillance tape at the Motel 7 firing his weapon along with an accomplice. A 3rd gunman is seen getting out of the car that they took off in: a 1999-2000 model, dark-colored, four-door Nissan Maxima.

If you have information about the Motel 7 case or the Aaron Vu murder, they should call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305)-471-TIPS (8477). It was an anonymous tip that originally led police to Ragan.

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Terry Allen Nealy, 22, made his first appearance in bond court Monday after being arrested over the weekend on first-degree murder charges in relation to a shooting death at a Motel 7 in North Miami.

No family appeared in court with Nealy and the judge ordered him held without bail.

According to police, Nealy and another man, Athawn Ragan, 19, allegedly shot 21-year-old Luis Perez multiple times on November 1st at the Motel 7 located on 13445 NW 7 Avenue.

Police said the suspects got away in a 1999-2000 model, dark-colored four-door Nissan Maxima.

When Ragan’s name was mentioned during Nealy’s court appearance Monday, Nealy said, “LIAR.”

Ragan was also recently charged with Perez’s homicide.

Earlier this month, A Miami-Dade County grand jury indicted Ragan for first-degree murder for the shooting death of 10-year-old Aaron Vu.

The murder of Vu took place while Ragan and another culprit that hasn’t been found were committing an armed robbery of a North Dade nail salon. The alleged thieves were running out the door when one turned around and fired a shot, which hit and killed Vu.

According the arrest form, Ragan tried to hide under the covers in a back bedroom. When he was taken into custody, police said he was violent, prompting an additional charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.

A source told CBS4’s Jim Defede, Ragan has also been arrested before for armed robbery, but the state dropped the charges. The source said officers from another jurisdiction also interviewed Ragan about another robbery.

FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – An arrest has been made in connection to a murder of a woman whose body was found on the side of a road in Dania Beach.

On Saturday, just before 6 a.m., the Broward Sheriff’s Office received a call about a body of a partially clothed woman in the 3100 block of State Road 84 in Dania Beach. The woman, who displayed facial injuries, was taken to the medical examiner’s office. Using the woman’s fingerprints, they identified her as 49-year old Lacy Woolridge.

The ME determined that Woolridge died from a broken neck.

The sheriff’s office said Woolridge had been recently released from jail for fraud. Detectives contacted her parole officer who was able to provide information that led detectives to 28-year-old Raul Serrano.

Serrano is a truck driver with Prime Incorporated, a trucking company based out of Springfield, Missouri. He reportedly told investigators that he had picked up four different women in Miami-Dade and Broward in the last 24 hours. Though he said didn’t know Woolridge, detectives reportedly found a bag with her clothes, her purse and her cell phone inside his semi-truck.

Serrano was transported to the county’s Main Jail where he was booked on one count of first-degree murder.

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Trayvon Martin’s parents offered support on Saturday to the parents of the 17-year old shot and killed after an argument over loud music.

In a statement Saturday, Martin’s parents said that no matter the verdict, Jordan Davis’ parents won’t ever see him again. Martin’s parents said Davis’ killing is “yet another reminder that in Florida, racial profiling and stereotypes” may serve as the basis for illegitimate fear “and the shooting and killing of young teenagers.”

Michael Dunn is charged with first-degree murder for fatally shooting Davis outside a Jacksonville convenience store in 2012. Dunn claims he shot Davis in self-defense.

The trial is the latest Florida case to raise questions about self-defense and race and comes six months after George Zimmerman was acquitted of any crime for fatally shooting 17-year-old Martin.

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE (CBSMiami) – A Northeast Miami-Dade man is charged with first degree murder after his neighbor was found strangled in her apartment.

Nelson Santoni, 36, is being held without bond.

According to a police report, Santoni “planned a burglary to the victim’s home… (He) was removing valuables when he was confronted by the victim.”

The report said Santoni “choked the victim and strangled her with a cord.”

Neighbors at the 5-unit housing complex along NE 118 Street were stunned to hear what happened.

“He’s a good guy. I don’t know what happened. He probably snapped. I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense,” neighbor Patrick Peeks told CBS4’s Lauren Pastrana.

Peeks said Santoni was struggling financially.

In court Thursday, when the judge asked whether Santoni worked, he replied he’d been fired and hadn’t worked in a month and a half.

Despite money troubles, Peeks said he never would have imagined his friend would resort to violence, especially against the nice woman in apartment 5.

That woman, neighbors said, was Brenda Henderson.

“She was a sweetheart of a woman. She took her business seriously. She liked helping people,” Eric Leyva said.

Leyva works a few doors down from Henderson’s skin care business.

When she didn’t show up for work this week, he feared the worst.

“When I heard that she was missing, I was like, ‘Whoa’,” Levya said. “Then I heard today she passed away. It’s really sad.”

The police report said the woman was attacked on Sunday, but her body wasn’t discovered until Tuesday.

Santoni was arrested the next day.

Investigators said another person acted as the lookout while Santoni stole items from the victim’s home.

Santoni’s girlfriend, Carol, says she was questioned, but is adamant she played no role in the crime.

“I went in the car. We were in the car to buy drugs,” Carol said. “I never went in the house. I wasn’t a lookout.”

She described Santoni as a “kind and sweet” man, but said he admitted he’d recently done something wrong.

“He told me that he hurt somebody and that he was going to go to jail for a long time,” Carol said.

Police mention a co-defendant in their report, but under “name” is says “To Be Determined.”

Santoni is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The jury began deliberating Friday afternoon, and returned around 7 PM Friday with a guilty verdict in the trial of a man charged with murdering a couple at a gas station.

Eric Ellington was found guilty of several felonies; two counts of first-degree murder, one count of carjacking, one of trespass as lesser included offense, and one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Ellington was just 16-years-old when police said he shot and killed Kennia Duran, 24, and Julian Soler, 23, while they were pumping gas into Soler’s 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra.

Families of the couple killed were in court Friday when the verdict was read.

“We’re happy with the decision that he’s guilty, but I think this is a lose lose situation for everybody involved,” said Soler’s mother Janine Diaz. “It’s a young life that’s going to be incarcerated for a long, long, long time and our children’s lives are never going to be replaced they’re gone forever.”

The couple was shot at a Mobile gas station off 57th Avenue and the Palmetto Expressway on July 25th, 2011.

Police said they were ambushed, forced out of the car and shot.

Ellington and two other men, Dylan McFarlane and Wayne Williams were all arrested.

All of the men faced two counts of first-degree murder, robbery, armed carjacking, burglary with assault or battery, and armed robbery.

The shooting was captured on surveillance video from the store.

Duran’s mother, Jackie Serra said hearing the video in court was heartbreaking.  “I’ve never seen the tape with sound. We never heard the shots before.  I never heard her crying and screaming. It was very, very, very tough.”

Ellington’s mother also had a difficult time during the trial. At one point, she left the courtroom in tears. Ellington’s lawyer, Herbert Smith,  seemed to cling to a small victory for his client.  Despite being convicted of two counts of first degree murder among other charges, Ellington was found not guilty of carjacking another couple hours before the murders.

“I don’t think we lost the case. They found the defendant not guilty of the carjacking,” said Smith, adding, “They believe he killed these people. The case was put together. We think that was wrong. The judge denied a motion to suppress. We think that was wrong so we go from there.”

While lawyers focus on appeals and sentencing, the victims’ families are working to move forward. Julian Soler’s father even embraced Eric Ellington’s mother after her son was convicted of killing his.

“I just wanted to tell her there was no malice towards her son or towards her,” said Armando Soler.  “I don’t feel nothing bad in my heart for them. we all make mistakes he made a big mistake so he’s accountable for it.”

Ellington was offered a plea deal before his trial started, but rejected that deal.

MIAMI (CBSMiam) – It has been said that a defendant who represents himself has a fool for a client.  Nonetheless Michel Escoto is acting as his own attorney as he goes on trial in a case with the rest of his life on the line.

“I would like to think that I am not a complete moron,” Escoto said as he began his opening statement to a 12 member Miami-Dade jury.

He is charged with murdering his bride, 21-year-old Wendy Trapaga in October, 2002.  They were newlyweds.

“He wanted money and he wanted lots of it,” prosecutor Rebecca DiMeglio told the jury.  “This time, he had murder on his mind.”

The state says Escoto killed his bride to collect a $1 million life insurance policy.

“Four days – four days! – after that marriage, this defendant bludgeoned and strangled Wendy Trapaga to death in a warehouse parking lot, leaving her body in a trash bin,” DiMeglio told the jury.

Escoto’s reply?

“Only an imbecile… would kill somebody four days after they married that person, for the purpose of obtaining money,” He said.

Escoto claimed he last saw his bride when she drove away, angry, after they argued. Her body was later found beaten with a tire iron and choked.

Police immediately suspected Escoto.  The murdered woman’s family issued public appeals for help in solving the case.

Escoto attempted to collect the insurance policy on his wife, and when the company delayed payment he quickly brought suit trying to get the $1 million.

Conflicting statements he made in that civil trial led police in 2005 to charge him with the murder.

A girlfriend, Yolanda Cerrillo, “flipped” in return for full immunity. She will testify that she plotted with Escoto to kill Wendy.  The plan was to drug the young wife, and drown her in the bathtub, making it appear to be an accident.  Cerrillo says after drugging his wife unconscious, Escoto botched the drowning and resorted to brutal murder.

Escoto told jurors the state made a bargain with a liar.

“They have to make a deal to prove their case, the truth be damned,” Escoto said.

Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Kenneth Hutchinson was among the first witnesses to testify Thursday.

Hutchinson has previously debunked Escoto’s claim that Wendy drove away in an angry huff.  The young woman had too many drugs in her system to have been able to steer a car, according to the coroner.

Trapaga’s family won a multi-million dollar award in a civil case against the girlfriend, Cerrillo.

Escoto did not say it directly, but suggested in his opening statement that the finger of blame for his wife’s death might be pointed at Cerrillo, a jealous lover.

The case is being tried before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler-Mendez.

If convicted of first degree murder, Escoto is facing mandatory life without parole.

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — The man convicted of killing two female co-workers by beating them with a hammer and setting them ablaze during a robbery at the store where they worked has been executed.

Authorities say 55-year-old Robert L. Henry was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m. following a lethal injection Thursday at the Florida State Prison.

He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the Nov. 2, 1987, slayings of 53-year-old Phyllis Harris and 35-year-old Janet Thermidor at the Cloth World store in Deerfield Beach. Authorities said he stole $1,269 from the fabric store.

Thermidor lived for hours after being attacked and identified Henry to investigators. Michael Satz, prosecutor at Henry’s 1988 trial, told jurors the killings were evil, adding “He literally burned them up.”

Although Henry at first told police the crime was committed by an unknown assailant, Thermidor lived long enough to positively identify him as the perpetrator in a recorded statement to investigators. Broward State Attorney Michael Satz, who prosecuted the 1988 trial, told the jury that Henry had committed one of the most cold-blooded acts in recent memory.

Barring a last-minute reprieve from the United States Supreme Court, Henry will be put to death Thursday. The Florida Supreme Court rejected his most recent appeals last week, including yet another challenge to the state’s method of lethal injection. Henry would be the fourth person executed in Florida this year.

In his latest appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Henry’s lawyers cite medical experts who claim that one of the drugs used in Florida’s lethal injection procedure, midazolam, could cause a heart attack and extreme pain, because Henry suffers from coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

His lawyers seek a stay of execution so those issues can be sorted out, citing the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

In response, the Florida attorney general’s office said there is no requirement for a hearing for each inmate who claims he might suffer some level of pain in the execution process. They also noted that five death row inmates have been executed “without any mishap” using the newer drug combination.

According to trial testimony and his own statements to police, Henry first approached Harris after the store had closed on Nov. 2, 1987, telling her unknown robbers had ordered him to tie her up and blindfold her.

Henry took Harris to a restroom, tied her to a urinal, then went to the store’s office where he hit Thermidor repeatedly on the head with hammer, doused her with a flammable liquid and set her on fire. Henry then went back to the restroom and attacked Harris with the hammer, setting her ablaze as well.

Authorities responding to the fire found Harris dead, but Thermidor still alive, after she had tried to douse the flames in a second restroom. She lived about 12 hours, and her statement pointed to Henry. He was arrested the next day.

Henry was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, armed robbery and arson, largely on the strength of Thermidor’s deathbed statement.

Henry’s lawyer tried unsuccessfully to persuade jurors that Thermidor never said on the tape that she actually saw Henry and that police had improperly coerced his confession.

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Testimony resumed Friday in the case of a man prosecutors believe killed his newlywed wife to collect a $1 million life insurance policy.

The mother of Wendy Trapaga took the stand as her daughter’s accused killer looked on Friday.

Myriam Benitez became emotional as she spoke, through a translator, about the last day she saw her daughter alive at a party to celebrate her marriage to Michel Escoto.

“That was the last day I was able to hug her,” said Benitez.

Escoto and Trapaga were married just days before Escoto allegedly beat and strangled his new bride in October 2002.

Prosecutors said Escoto wanted his wife’s million dollar life insurance policy and to get back together with his old girlfriend.

Escoto is representing himself in his murder trial.

In court Friday, Benitez said she didn’t care for Escoto when he and her daughter started dating and she was concerned when her daughter told her she bought life insurance while she and Escoto were living together but not married.

“I did not feel good,” said Benitez.  “I expressed to her ‘Why insurance?’ They’re not even married, no children. They’re renting. She’s sleeping on the floor. She did not have a job. Why insurance?”

She also talked about a fight between the couple before their marriage.

“He takes off his helmet furiously, very angry, starts throwing it against the cement once, two times very angry,” Benitez added. “I’m in shock and I see my daughter standing still not moving.”

Still, Benitez said she believed that her daughter and Escoto were happy when they wed at a courthouse ceremony October 10th.

Shortly before their marriage, Wendy Trapaga told her mother she was pregnant.

Her mother said she was looking forward to being a grandmother to that child .

She never got the chance because Trapaga was killed.

The trial will continue next week.  It began Thursday with Michel Escoto, who is acting as his own attorney, giving a rambling opening statement and fumbling his way through the first day of the trial.

“I would like to think that I am not a complete moron,” Escoto said as he began his opening statement to a 12 member Miami-Dade jury.

“He wanted money and he wanted lots of it,” prosecutor Rebecca DiMeglio told the jury.  “This time, he had murder on his mind. Four days – four days! – after that marriage, this defendant bludgeoned and strangled Wendy Trapaga to death in a warehouse parking lot, leaving her body in a trash bin.”

Escoto’s reply?

“Only an imbecile… would kill somebody four days after they married that person, for the purpose of obtaining money,” He said.

Escoto claimed he last saw his bride when she drove away, angry, after they argued. Her body was later found beaten with a tire iron and choked. Police immediately suspected Escoto. The murdered woman’s family issued public appeals for help in solving the case.

Escoto attempted to collect the insurance policy on his wife, and when the company delayed payment he quickly brought suit trying to get the $1 million. Conflicting statements he made in that civil trial led police in 2005 to charge him with the murder.

A girlfriend, Yolanda Cerrillo, “flipped” in return for full immunity. She will testify that she plotted with Escoto to kill Wendy.  The plan was to drug the young wife, and drown her in the bathtub, making it appear to be an accident.  Cerrillo says after drugging his wife unconscious, Escoto botched the drowning and resorted to brutal murder.

Escoto told jurors the state made a bargain with a liar.

“They have to make a deal to prove their case, the truth be damned,” Escoto said.

Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Kenneth Hutchinson was among the first witnesses to testify Thursday. Hutchinson has previously debunked Escoto’s claim that Wendy drove away in an angry huff. The young woman had too many drugs in her system to have been able to steer a car, according to the coroner.

Trapaga’s family won a multi-million dollar award in a civil case against the girlfriend, Cerrillo.

Escoto did not say it directly, but suggested in his opening statement that the finger of blame for his wife’s death might be pointed at Cerrillo, a jealous lover.

The case is being tried before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler-Mendez.

If convicted of first degree murder, Escoto is facing mandatory life without parole.

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A man police believe is a murder suspect was arrested and taken to jail Saturday on a first-degree murder charge.

The arrest of Rickey L. Davis, 52, comes nearly three decades after Joycelean Burrows was found strangled in a Liberty City vacant lot, according to CBS4 news partner, The Miami Herald.

Miami-Dade police homicide detectives learned of Davis after submitting crime-scene evidence for DNA analysis.

A match came back to Davis, a convicted burglar whose DNA had been entered years earlier in a state law enforcement data base.

Burrows, 26, was discovered on Jan. 17, 1989 in the vacant lot on Northwest 59th Street at 22nd Avenue.

Davis was a suspect in 1989, but there was not enough evidence to arrest him.

That day, a witness told police, Davis was seen covered in blood, using a hose to wash blood from the back of his truck. But Davis denied having had any recent contact with Burrows, according to the arrest report.

DNA technology was not available in 1986. The case remained unsolved for decades.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Shortly after Tamiyah Audain’s 12th birthday, the severely autistic girl who never spoke a word, died. After a lengthy investigation, police said her death appeared to be abuse or even torture. On Wednesday, four women — including Audain’s caregiver, a ChildNet employee and two psychologists — were charged in connection with her death.

Lauderhill Police Sergeant Atina Johnson, who relentlessly worked the case after Audain died in September 2013, said that in December 2013 Audain weighed 115 pounds. When the child died, Johnson said the girl weighed just 56 pounds. Investigators said Audain, who suffered from a debilitating disease called tuberous sclerosis, developed bed sores that went to the bone and wasn’t properly cared for. Audain was placed in the custody of her cousin, Latoya Patterson, by child welfare workers after Tamiyah’s mother died.

Click here to watch Carey Codd’s report. 

“Had she received medical care and medical attention, she obviously would not have died,” Johnson said. “If she was being fed properly, she would not have passed away.”

Johnson said what made matters worse, Tamiyah couldn’t speak to verbalize her anguish.

“She would have suffered,” Johnson said. “It would have been painful.”

Lauderhill Police said not only did Patterson isolate the child and neglect her, amounting to a type of “torture”, but JabethMoye — a Childnet employee overseeing Audain’s case — did not raise a red flag about the girl’s condition. Investigators said Moye did not follow-up on concerns that Tamiyah was being abused, was not attending school and was not seeing a doctor.

“None of her reports ever indicated that something was going awry in the household,” Johnson said. “Based on her reports, everyone was grandiose, which obviously was not the case.”

Police said two psychologists, Juliana Gerena and Helen Richardson, failed to report what they should have realized was suspected abuse.

“They indicated that Tamiyah’s condition was fair to poor,” Johnson explained. “That she had very poor hygiene and based on some of the information that was contained in the report, it almost appeared as if they should have known or would have known that abuse or neglect was playing a factor in her condition.”

Patterson is charged with murder, Moye is charged with child neglect and Gerena and Richardson are charged with failing to report the abuse. Patterson’s attorney said her client was caring for Tamiyah on a temporary basis and asked for help but did not get it.

“She said that she was overwhelmed and she asked for services over and over again and services were not provided to help her out with the situation,” said attorney Nadine Girault Levy.

Gerena and Richardson both walked out of jail Wednesday night on bond. Gerena refused to comment and Richardson would only say, “Not guilty,” when asked a question.

Gerena’s attorney, Todd Weicholz, said there was only one visit and a child protective worker was present.

“The ChildNet worker was there,” said Todd Weicholz. “The allegation that she is charged with a third degree felony and has spent over 24 hours in jail now for not reporting to ChildNet, who brought her there, that she’s possibly being abused, is absurd.”

Tamiyah’s grandfather, Willy Bryant, says he is trying to hold it together. He had his grand-daughter for a while, but says child welfare workers removed her from his home. He said that was a fatal mistake.

“It hurts. It really hurts,” said Bryant. “I do my best to keep from dropping tears. She probably would be here today if the state hadn’t swooped in and took them from the school and everything.”

Dr. Richard Gelles, of the University of Pennsylvania, is an expert in child welfare cases. He told CBS 4 News that charging medical professionals with failing to report abuse is extremely rare. He also said he doubts the arrests will result in meaningful change.

“The state of Florida seems to be immune to taking on serious reform,” he said.

As for Tamiyah Audain, Johnson said she deserved better and there were many people who missed warning signs that could have helped the child.

“You’re supposed to protect children,” Johnson said. “And with all of these professionals that were directly involved in her life, someone should have seen something was wrong here. No one reported anything.”

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LAUDERDALE LAKES (CBSMiami) – The Broward Sheriff’s Office has issued an arrest warrant for the arrest of a man who shot an acquaintance on Saturday night in a Lauderdale Lakes parking lot.

According to BSO, at 10:16 p.m. on Saturday night Herman Farrell and Sean Fleming had an argument in the parking lot of the Town Square apartments.

Detectives say that there had been an ongoing dispute between Farrell and Fleming, who had previously known each other for several years.

Farrell then shot Fleming multiple times after the argument between the two had escalated, authorities said.

Fleming died at the scene while Farrell took off.  Detectives are still searching for Farrell, 31, who is facing one charge of first-degree murder.

If you know of Farrell’s whereabouts please contact Crime Stoppers of Broward County at 945-493-TIPS (8477) or you can report information directly to homicide Det. Ricky Libman by calling BSO’s non-emergency number 954-764-HELP (4357).  Crime Stoppers will pay up to $3000 for information that leads to an arrest.

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The teen accused of gunning down a Good Samaritan in November faced a judge Tuesday.

Jose Lucho, 16, is charged with first-degree murder in the November 13^th shooting death of 24-year-old Bradley Holt.

Judge Rodney Smith, on Tuesday, ordered Lucho to be held on a $500,000 bond plus house arrest.

Under Florida Law, even in serious cases, minors are allowed to post bond.

Witnesses said Holt had tried to stop the suspect from doing “donuts” in his yellow mustang because he was endangering other youngsters and adults outside his apartment building at 3293 N.W. 11^th Court.

Police said the Lucho was arrested after police were conducting surveillance at his apartment building at 1469 N.W. 38^th Street.

“It was just a blessing,” said Quinton Flowers, the 20-year-old brother of Bradley Holt when Lucho was arrested.

Flowers told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench “I feel good that he is in custody. My sister and everyone feels good about it.”

“My brother was just trying to let him know that kids were out there. My nephew was out there and said can you just slow down,” said Flowers.

Quinton Flowers learned about his brother’s death on the same weekend he was starting as a freshman quarterback for the University of South Florida football team. He told D’Oench that he looked up to his brother.

“He always kept my head on straight,” Flowers said. “He would always talk to me about being on the right track. The last time I talked to him he told me to keep doing what I was doing.”

Nick Mans said he had helped raise Holt because his mother had died and his father was not around.

“Bradley Holt was a good kid,” said Mans. “He did everything that was good and died doing exactly what he did in life.”

“I am so excited today,” said Mans. “It made my day with Christmas right around the corner. I give thanks to the City of Miami Police Department working hard to apprehend the guy who killed my nephew. God is good all the time.”

Holt’s relatives said he was a quiet person who did not bother anybody.

Police said they also arrested 19-year-old Jaquan Mejia while they were conducting surveillance and have charged him with burglary. But they say he is not connected with the murder of Holt.

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• Police: Men Posing As Water & Sewer Techs Rob Elderly Woman

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LARGO (CBSMiami/AP) — A Tampa Bay area man convicted of killing his former girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter could be facing the death penalty.

A Pinellas County jury convicted 29-year-old Joel Cruz on Thursday of first-degree murder. The panel will reconvene next week to recommend either life in prison or the death penalty. A judge will make the final decision.

Authorities say Ananhie Fernandez was repeatedly beaten while in Cruz’s care in May 2013. Cruz had put the girl to bed, but when the girl’s mother discovered the injuries, she had Cruz take them to the hospital, where the girl died.

Cruz had tried to claim the injuries came from a fall, but the medical examiner testified the injuries couldn’t have been an accident.

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PINELLAS PARK (AP) — A Tampa Bay-area man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 3-month-old daughter, whose late-night cries had disturbed him several times, authorities said.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office says 44-year-old Steven Dykes was uncooperative as he was booked into jail Saturday.

According to the sheriff’s office, Dykes tended to his daughter Olivia when she awoke multiple times late Wednesday and early Thursday. As her mother left the house around 6 a.m. Thursday, authorities say Dykes emerged with the unresponsive baby, screaming that she was dead.

Detectives said the baby suffered obvious trauma to her head, face and feet. An autopsy determined she had multiple skull fractures.

The sheriff’s office says Dykes caused the injuries by holding Olivia’s feet while shaking her violently and inflicting blunt trauma to her head.

“He probably got very frustrated and slammed this kid, really slammed her,” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.

County jail records did not show Sunday whether Dykes had an attorney.

According to investigators, Dykes initially denied beating the baby and his statements were contradictory to those made by Olivia’s mother.

Dykes was kept under surveillance and was arrested Saturday after he said he was “sorry for what he did” while ordering a prescription for anti-anxiety medication, the sheriff’s office said.

Dykes had a criminal history including drug charges, but he had no history of mental illness, and there wasn’t any history of violence at the home, Gualtieri said.

Dykes and Olivia’s mother, Melissa Schroll, also have a 21-month-old son, who has been sent to stay with Schroll’s parents in Tarpon Springs, authorities said. Schroll is not suspected of any wrongdoing.

Gualtieri said the couple were unemployed and under significant financial strain.

Florida’s Department of Children & Families is reviewing the case, but the agency had no previous contact with Dykes, officials said.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) — The debate on whether a man accused of shooting a North Miami Beach cop should be let go is set to continue Friday.

Elton Bandoo’s family is pushing for his release following his February arrest but the state is demanding the family prove it can guarantee that they have enough in property to cover his bond if he skips.

In late April, a judge granted Bandoo a half a million dollar bond but the state said it will move for Bandoo to remain jailed, arguing he may be a danger to the community.

Officers arrested Bandoo on February 6th after he allegedly came out of his home and fired a gun three times while police were trying to serve a warrant at his home in the area of Northeast 160th Street and 8th Avenue.

Two of the rounds fired struck North Miami Beach Police Officer Lino Diaz.

Bandoo is now charged with attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement officer.

Bandoo said he fired the gun in self-defense since he was awakened by loud bangs and his mother screaming they were being robbed.

Investigators did not release details on why they were serving the warrant, but after the raid they said they found several computers and the names of at least 200 people along with their social security numbers inside his closet, among other things in the home.

While he has not been charged with a federal crime, investigators believe he may have been involved in a scheme of filing false tax returns and unemployment claims.

If he is released, he will be on house arrest and must wear an ankle monitor.

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The debate on whether a man accused of shooting a North Miami Beach cop should be let go has been reset for Monday.

Elton Bandoo’s family is pushing for his release following his February arrest but the state is demanding the family prove it can guarantee that they have enough in property to cover his bond if he skips.

In late April, a judge granted Bandoo a half a million dollar bond but the state said it will move for Bandoo to remain jailed, arguing he may be a danger to the community.

A judge presiding over the case has asked that Bandoo’s wealthy Bahamian aunt be responsible for most of the $500,000 bond.

In addition to that condition, the judge wants a Bahamian law expert to testify to the accessibility of the aunt’s assets. In other words, that they can access money should Bandoo escape.

Officers arrested Bandoo on February 6th after he allegedly came out of his home and fired a gun three times while police were trying to serve a warrant at his home in the area of Northeast 160th Street and 8th Avenue.

Two of the rounds fired struck North Miami Beach Police Officer Lino Diaz.

Bandoo is now charged with attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement officer.

Bandoo said he fired the gun in self-defense since he was awakened by loud bangs and his mother screaming they were being robbed.

Investigators did not release details on why they were serving the warrant, but after the raid they said they found several computers and the names of at least 200 people along with their social security numbers inside his closet, among other things in the home.

While he has not been charged with a federal crime, investigators believe he may have been involved in a scheme of filing false tax returns and unemployment claims.

If he is released, he will be on house arrest and must wear an ankle monitor.

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A South Florida man has been charged with murder three days after a woman’s body was found dumped on the side of a road.

Police say that victim is 41-year-old Anna Farran.

According to authorities, she was an escort and was strangled to death.

Police arrested 37-year-old Juan Carlos Hernandez-Caseres, who is facing a charge of first degree murder.

Farran’s body was found on the sidewalk of Northwest 25th Avenue early Wednesday morning.

Surveillance video shows the suspect pull up in a car, drop something off on the side of the road and take off.

Officers got the call around 6 a.m. the next morning.

“When officers responded they located the adult female that appeared to be deceased,” Michael Vega with Miami Police said Wednesday.

Miami Fire Rescue says the woman, now identified as Farran, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man who did not want to be identified told CBS4 News he often saw Ferran in the area.

“Everyday I see her in the street,” he said. “Nine, ten, any time of day you’d see her in the street.”

In the arrest report, Hernandez-Caseres admits to offering Ferran money for sex.

During their encounter, he says an argument broke out and he became angry, punching Farran in the throat two times.

Hernandez-Caseres also told police he left her on the dark street and drove home.

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Two men have been indicted for first-degree murder in a Fentanyl-related death of a 22-year-old South Floridian.

A Miami-Dade County grand jury indicted Karl Schmidt and David Cash for the death of Daniel Calle, who overdosed last year.

According to CBS4 News partner the Miami Herald, Schmidt, 21, was a friend of Calle’s who purchased the drugs on Calle’s request.

Cash, 52, is who sold Schmidt the drugs.

Thanks to a change in Florida’s murder statute that was made during last year’s legislative session, Fentanyl was included to the area that addresses the sale of drugs resulting in death.

“The opioid epidemic has already taken far too many lives and devastated far too many families” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Florida law holds responsible those who supply and sell the drugs which lead to a death. In today’s Indictment, the Grand Jury agreed with our belief that the actions of Karl Schmidt and David Cash are responsible for Daniel Calle’s death. The statute was specifically designed to address these circumstances.”