MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami Police are investigating after they discovered a decomposed body in a Miami condo unit, Thursday afternoon.
The body was found inside a unit at the Serenity on the River apartment complex, located at 1740 N.W. North River Drive, after police were called to perform a welfare check on a resident.
Officials said the call came from a mother asking police to check on their daughter. “We received a call from a woman stating that she was checking on the well-being of her daughter,” said Miami Police Officer Kenia Fallat.
Officials said it did not take long for officers to locate the condo unit where the body was located. “Now, when officers arrived here, they went on to the floor where she thought her daughter lived, and we smelled a foul odor,” said Fallat.
7News cameras showed officers roping off a hallway at the complex with crime scene tape, taking residents by surprise.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on. I just woke up right now, and there’s some cops inside,” said resident Guilherme Bravo.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” said resident Christian Chiquito. “I just came here this morning, and I saw two police cars outside.”
Speaking with 7News through a translator, resident Andrea Colorado said she had often seen the woman who lives in the unit around the complex. “I would see her at times walking here. She walked her dog here.”
A City of Miami Police crime scene van was parked just behind the gates of the complex while technicians worked inside the building.
“I come out, and I saw all the cars here, and I got surprised. I hope there’s nothing wrong,” said resident Donald Granados.
But what officers found was a body so badly decomposed that they could not even tell whether it was a man or a woman.
Colorado described the woman who lived in the condo as a quiet person. “Yes, very calm and tranquil,” she said. “I have no words to say right now ’cause this is a young lady who would walk her dog in the morning and at night.”
The gruesome discovery has neighbors on edge and hoping for answers. “I don’t want to be unsafe in my home, you know, relaxing and all of a sudden I’m threatened, and someone pops in through my front door,” said Chiquito.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard about it in this building,” said Bravo. “I’ve lived here for almost nine years, and there’s nothing close to this.”
Detectives have not yet specified whether the body belongs to the daughter of the mother who contacted authorities. They did say there is no evidence of foul play and are currently waiting to obtain a search warrant to conduct a more thorough investigation.
If you have any information that could help investigators, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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