MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A friend of a 61-year-old man who was shot and killed outside his Miami Gardens home while mowing his lawn on Tuesday finished the job the next morning.
"I am finishing a job a good man started. I have love and respect for the family here," Marty Taylor-Bey said.
Police said Curtis Smith was mowing his front lawn about 12:30 p.m. at 17630 NW 14th Ave. when he was ambushed by two men for his gold chain.
Neighbors said Smith ran back to his driveway but didn't make it inside his home. They said he worked at Jackson Memorial Hospital and was doing yard work on his day off.
A neighbor captured the attack on surveillance video, which detectives are reviewing.
"That could have been my Dad," neighbor, Randall Tate said. "He was outside cutting his yard two days ago, and he wears his watch and chain."
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, and police are asking anyone with information about the gunmen to come forward.
"I'll tell you what, the neighborhood won't be the same without him," Tate said.
Jackson Memorial Hospital released a statement Wednesday morning, which said: "The Jackson family is mourning the loss of Curtis Smith, a respiratory therapist who worked for the health system for nearly 29 years. Curtis was respected by his colleagues, and well-liked by the patients he cared for. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Curtis' family and friends."
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. A reward of up to $3,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
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