NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police escorted a man in handcuffs and took him to jail after, they said, he shot and killed his wife in the pool deck area of a Jewish community center.
The tragic shooting happened over the weekend at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center.
According to detectives, Carl Monty Watts walked all the way to the center’s pool area with a gun and shot his wife, Shandel Harris, as she watched her daughter receive a swimming lesson.
“He chased her down and shot her like an animal, like he was doing hunting,” said Aaron Batten, the victim’s cousin.
“She’s a great mother, you know. She didn’t deserve this,” said Apple Harris, the victim’s cousin.
Detectives said Watts hurt his wife Saturday morning, stabbing her multiple times after she threatened to divorce him.
According to the Miami Police Department incident report, “After the attack, the suspect told the victim he would kill himself if she left him and held a gun to his head.”
Harris managed to calm him down and escape to her family. That’s when they called police.
Authorities said Watts tracked her down to the JCC Sunday and begged her to drop the charges against him for the incident the day before. She refused.
According to the arrest report, “When the victim collapsed, the defendant stood over the victim and continued to shoot her until he ran out of live cartridges.”
“Sir, you were arrested for one count of second-degree murder,” said Judge Mindy S. Glazer during a court hearing.
While Watts appeared in court on these new charges, 7News discovered he has a long criminal history.
He is a person of interest in the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend in 2014. Trukita Scott is still missing.
“I’m glad they got him. I’m glad they got him,” said Lynette Finnie, Scott’s aunt.
Finnie said her niece broke up with Watts a few days before she vanished. In her heart, she doesn’t believe that is a coincidence. That case is still under investigation.
“It took for another young lady to be murdered, for an arrest to be made,” said Finnie. “I don’t get it.”
Fort Lauderdale Police continue to ask for the public’s help in the case on the disappearance of Scott.
Anyone with any information regarding Scott’s disappearance is urged to come forward.
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