MIAMI – Detectives arrested a 56-year-old man on Thursday in the murder of a 93-year-old man in Miami’s Silver Bluff Estates neighborhood.
Officer Kenia Fallat, a spokeswoman for the Miami Police Department said detectives believe Silverio Fonte was involved in the murder of Humberto Mijares. Fonte, a convicted felon, is facing a charge of second-degree murder with a weapon.
About two decades ago, Fonte was arrested for murder in Miami-Dade County. He was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison. The Florida Department of Corrections released him on Nov. 18, 2017.
Mijares’s death terrorized the quiet area south of Coral Way where he was known as a friendly neighbor who loved animals — especially dogs and cats.
Teresita Menendez said she found Mijare’s dog Whiskers wandering alone on Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning, she knew it was likely that the dog had witnessed Mijares' murder.
Menendez said at first she walked Whiskers back to Mijares' home, and she made several failed attempts to reach him. Hours later on Wednesday morning, a woman called 911 to report that she had found her father dead and she needed police officers to respond to his home at 2345 SW 22 Terr.
A few houses down from the crime scene, Rita Ramirez said she saw someone driving slowly on Tuesday along Southwest 22nd Terrace, between Southwest 23th and 24th avenues. There were three suspicious people inside the car who appeared to be scoping the area, she said.
Menendez said Mijares’ family did not rescue Whiskers, so she took care of the dog until Miami-Dade County Animal Services personnel arrived to pick the dog up.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the homicide to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
Local 10 News Reporters Layron Livingston and Christian De La Rosa contributed to this report.
AFTERNOON REPORT