MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A 53-year-old man was arrested hours after, police said, he beat a transgender woman to death outside of the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach.
Gregory Gibert faces second-degree murder charges after allegedly fatally assaulting 37-year-old Andrea Doria Dos Passos.
According to the arrest report, at approximately 6:45 a.m., Tuesday, an employee of the Miami City Ballet, located at the corner of 22nd Street and Liberty Avenue, initially found what they thought was someone sleeping on the steps, near the main entrance.
The employee attempted to wake the victim, only to find no response. The employee reportedly saw blood surrounding Dos Passos and called 911.
Miami Beach Police and Fire Rescue units arrived and pronounced Dos Passos dead at the scene.
Dos Passos’ stepfather, Victor Van Gilst, spoke with 7News on Wednesday.
“Our nightmare became a reality,” he said.
Van Gilst said his stepdaughter struggled with mental illness, and the family tried to get her help and off the street for years.
“We always loved to have her around, but her behavior became questionable, and lately she was roaming the streets of Miami Beach,” he said.
Surveillance footage from the ballet company revealed chilling details.
According to the arrest report, Dos Passos arrived at the location around midnight and lay down near the entrance. The report then states that a man, later identified as Gibert, was seen on video arriving and surveying the area.
At one point, investigators said, the suspect retrieved a metal pipe.
The arrest report states Gibert “approached the victim while she was sleeping and began to strike her with the metal pipe about the head and face several times.”
Following the attack, Gibert reportedly discarded the weapon in a nearby trash can and fled the scene.
Dos Passos died before help arrived, detectives said.
Meanwhile, police issued a “be on the lookout” alert, describing a Black male in a black shirt, red shorts and red shoes.
Detectives, through investigative means, linked Gibert to the crime scene based on physical descriptions and prior arrest records.
Gibert was located at one of his known addresses, reportedly wearing clothing consistent with the surveillance footage, including blood-stained shoes and shorts.
He was charged and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. According to jail records, he was out on probation on the morning of the murder.
Wednesday afternoon, Miami Beach Commissioner Joe Magazine offered his condolences.
“My thoughts, my prayers, go out to the family, to the victim,” he said.
In the arrest report, police noted that the victim, formerly known as Heitor Doria Dos Passos, had changed her name and gender in October 2023.
It is unclear whether the attack was targeted or a hate crime.
Van Gilst said he fears his stepdaughter’s death was the result of her gender identity.
“I believe that the fact that she’s transgender had something to do with it,” he said.
But Magazine said that at this time, no signs point to a hate crime.
“While our hearts go out to our LGBTQ community, because they often do find themselves as targets of this, there’s nothing that I’ve been briefed on thus far that says this victim was targeted because of their status,” said Magazine.
Wednesday night, Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones issued a statement of Gibert’s arrest. It reads in part:
“My LGBTQIA+ Police Liaison and I have been in constant communication with local LGBTQIA+ leaders throughout the day, listening to their concerns and providing updates on the investigation. We are dedicated to working closely with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office to ensure that this case is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones
Gibert was due in court Wednesday, but he refused to appear.
Police said they have recovered the metal pipe that was used in the beating. They have taken the trash bin in for evidence.
The LGBTQ organization, Pridelines, will hold a memorial for Dos Passos. It is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Pridelines’ Miami Beach location, at 1130 Washington Avenue.
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