SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A death investigation is underway after, police said, the body of a girl was found inside a dumpster at an apartment complex in Southwest Miami-Dade.
7News cameras captured an active scene at Tuscany Place Apartments, located at 25470 SW 137th Ave., Sunday afternoon
Miami-Dade Police received the call at around 12:45 p.m. after, officials said, a resident throwing away trash discovered the body of a girl.
A heavy police presence remained at the complex as crime scene investigations blocked off access to half the complex as they sifted through trash and interviewed dozens of witnesses and neighbors.
“It’s foul play, somewhere,” said area resident who asked not to be identified. “If it’s a predator, I don’t know what’s going on, so yeah, I’m a little nervous.”
Complex resident Virginia Hawkins said she was frightened to hear a death occurred in the place she calls home. “One of my neighbors called me and let me know what was going on, and when she told me, it too the breath out of my body,” she said. “I had tears coming out of my eyes. I’m like, ‘Wow.’ It’s just sad, man, it’s just sad.”
Cameras later showed a tow truck removing the dumpster from the scene. It was taken to the medical examiner’s office for further investigation.
Police said they are having a difficult time identifying the body. They confirmed she appears to have been between 3 and 8 years old.
“Why would they want to do a baby, an innocent child like that?” said Hawkins. “There’s no reason for it to be like that.”
Speaking with reporters Sunday evening, officials said that what is strange about this case is that there had been no reports of missing children prior to the discovery of the body.
“We don’t have any family on scene that we know of. We just have the person who called it in,” said Miami-Dade Police Detective Argemis Colome. “Anybody that might have given some information, we don’t know, because no parent has called us. There’s none on scene that we know of, and that’s something that, if you are missing your kid, please give 911 a call.”
Police said they don’t have any suspects at this time.
Investigators said their leads are slim. “We’re not going to leave any stone unturned for this investigation, because as of right now, we don’t have that much information,”” said Colome.
The area resident who did not give her name said the disturbing discovery hits close to home. “I have two kids. I have a daughter that actually walks by here in the morning,” she said.
As detectives continue their investigation, residents are praying for the family, even though police don’t yet know who they are.
“I want justice for her family,” said Hawkins. “That’s all I can ask for, is justice for her family.”
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