MIAMI SHORES, FLA. (WSVN) - What began as a missing persons case became a homicide investigation after, police said, a Barry University student was found shot to death in the City of Miami over the weekend.
According to City of Miami Police, the victim’s body was found at Northwest 29th Avenue, near 11th Street, early Saturday morning. They have identified her as 19-year-old Priscilla Torres.
Torres was initially reported missing by Miami Shores Police, Sunday night.
Earlier that day, fellow Barry University student Conrad Prophete said Torres was supposed to help him with a project.
“We were just waiting for the text, and it just never came,” said Prophete.
Investigators said Torres was last seen on campus, where she lives in a dorm, on Friday. At 4:21 a.m., Saturday, she texted a friend to tell her she was on her way to the friend’s house.
About 10 minutes later, Miami Police received a report of shots fired in the area of Northwest 29th Avenue and 11th Street, underneath a section of the Dolphin Expressway. Officers who responded to the scene, about 10 miles away from the Barry University campus in Miami Shores, found a woman shot in the street.
Paramedics transported her to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Initially, police didn’t know who she was and distributed a computer-generated image — an image that linked both cases.
Monday morning, officials confirmed the connection. “We determined that the person who was missing, which is Priscilla Torres, age 19, was the female that we had in our homicide,” said Miami Police Officer Michael Vega.
Residents in Naples, Torres’ hometown, were heartbroken.
“She was definitely a happy young lady, and she had a good heart,” said a neighbor who asked not to be identified. “She is going to be missed.”
As police search for a motive and the killer, students at Barry University are processing the tragic news.
“My heart just dropped when I read the email,” said Prophete.
“She was a really friendly person, really nice, welcoming,” said TreSean Perry, another friend of Torres.
“We’re all just feeling pretty down this morning,” said Prophete.
Barry University released a statement that read as follows:
“Very late Sunday night, we learned that freshman student, Priscilla Torres, was a victim of a homicide in Miami. At this time, her death remains an open investigation with the City of Miami Police Department.Words fail to express the shock and deep sorrow that we, her Barry family, are experiencing. However, we cannot imagine the profound heartache and anguish her parents and family members are suffering. As we mourn the tragic death of our student, we offer sympathy, prayers and comfort to her family, friends, classmates, faculty and everyone who loved her and shared her young life. Our University counselors and Campus Ministry team are available to all students who may need support.”
Investigators are attempting to determine a motive behind the fatal shooting. They have not made any arrests.
Police said Torres’ car remains missing. It is a white 2017 Nissan Sentra with the Florida tag HZBU86.
“We really need the help of the public in finding out what happened to this young lady,” said Vega.
If you have any information on this murder, 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.
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