CORAL GABLES, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have released a sketch of a man they said they’re looking for in connection to the death of a University of Miami student whose body was found inside his Coral Gables apartment.
The community is now on the lookout, fearing for their safety. Rachel Turetsky, a neighbor, said, “We’re talking to each other like after a hurricane where we come together more, speak, whereas neighbors don’t speak that much in the parking lot, and there’s concern.”
Miami-Dade Police do not have a suspect but said they are looking for a person of interest. Detectives want to ask him a few questions about the homicide case that happened Sunday afternoon.
Some information came up during the investigation, which led them to the sketch of a man.
Twenty-three-year-old architecture student Yasser Talal Ibrahim Abualfaraj was found dead inside an off-campus apartment near 6500 block of Santona Street. Those who knew him said he’s from Saudi Arabia.
According to police, his roommate found him and then called 911 immediately.
Police said Abualfaraj’s cause of death is by stabbing with an undetermined object.
Officials said there was a motorcycle in the parking lot and blood was found outside of Abualfaraj’s apartment.
Help us locate the pictured individual, wanted for questioning, regarding a suspicious incident in the area of 6580 Santona Street. Anyone with information is urged to contact #MDPD Detective B. Jurado at (305) 471-2400 or @CrimeStopper305 at (305) 471-8477. pic.twitter.com/VqkzmOPeUG
— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) October 9, 2018
This case has shaken the UM community.
“It’s pretty strange because this is a really quiet complex, and I’ve kind of seen everybody, you kind of know everyone,” said neighbor Kyle Swan. “I would like to see a resolution to the issue. I hope that it’s gonna be somebody who doesn’t live here.
It’s unclear if the person of interest frequents the area, but neighbors said they’ve never seen him.
“I talked to my neighbors, and he said that they’d never seen him, and so I don’t know. That’s kind of strange,” neighbor Angel Castillo added. “For somebody not to know the guy right away is kind of weird.”
Police have not said who the person in the sketch is and why they want to speak with him as yet.
They said the man was seen near the apartment the morning Abualfaraj was killed.
Investigators are hoping the public can help. Officers were out in the community knocking on doors and passing out flyers in hopes of somebody recognizing the person of interest.
Abualfaraj’s classmates held a vigil in front of the architecture school, Tuesday evening.
If you have any information on this homicide, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.