MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Police in Miami Beach and Miami-Dade are investigating a potential link between a fatal Miami Beach shooting and a man’s disappearance in Miami-Dade County.
Investigators from both the Miami Beach and Miami-Dade Police departments are investigating the Thursday night shooting of 29-year-old Kamil Patel and the missing person case of 54-year-old Orestes Marrero.
According to police, Marrero was reported missing by his family Friday. However, his 2017 white Honda Accord with the Florida temporary tag CCP4319 was spotted leaving the scene where Patel was gunned down.
“It’s a video of events just before the shooting,” said Miami Beach Police Chief Daniel Oates. “We’ve made some progress, but we really are appealing for the community for help.”
Patel was employed at Prada in Bal Harbor. He recently moved to Miami Beach a few weeks ago from Dallas.
At the time of the shooting, Patel was with a friend in the alleyway between Fourteenth Street and Española Way when he was shot by someone inside a white Honda.
The 29-year-old died at the hospital.
His companion told another friend what happened that night. “They were leaving the bar and walking to another one. The guy was in the car in front of him, and you know, just driving down the alleyway,” he said, “and next thing you know, everything happened in a blink of an eye.”
According to police, Marrero was the last man known to be in the vehicle.
However, witnesses described a possible shooter in Patel’s case as a slim African-American man with dreadlocks wearing a hoodie.
Police said they do not know what involvement, if any, Marrero has in the case or if he is a suspect or victim. “We don’t know. He’s been reported missing by his family, and his family is very concerned about him, and Miami-Dade Police Department is handling that missing investigation,” Oates said. “For a host of reasons, we’d like to find him, but assuming we can find him safely, we’d like to know the history of the vehicle before this occurred.”
Now, they are turning to the public for information. “We continue to look for the community’s help, and the combination of rewards is up to $13,000 – $5,000 from the Miami Beach Police Department Reward Fund, $3,000 from Crime Stoppers and Prada, his employer, has notified us that they are offering, separately, their own reward,” said Oates.
If you have any information that can help police, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for the $13,000 reward.
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