MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A man accused of killing a woman and burning her body inside of a U-Haul truck faces multiple charges thanks to surveillance footage that captured the horrific incident.
Allen Thomas, 57, appeared in bond court on Thursday. He is accused of killing a woman, putting her body in a U-Haul truck, and then taking it to another spot to set it on fire.
According to the arrest report, detectives were able to catch Thomas thanks to surveillance video.
In the surveillance footage, they saw Thomas backing up a U-Haul truck near the train tracks across Northeast 73rd Street and 2nd Avenue just after 5 a.m. Sunday.
That is when he gets out of the driver’s seat and walks to the back of the truck. Suddenly, flames are seen behind the vehicle. Then, after a few seconds, he drives away.
On Monday, investigators found Thomas at his apartment with the U-Haul truck parked outside. Inside of the apartment, they found several knives, cleaning supplies, and blood consistent with a struggle.
Investigators soon learned the woman was first strangled to death before her body was placed inside of the truck and taken to the train tracks.
The arrest came as a shock to this neighbor.
“He killed already and he will do it again if he gets the chance to do it,” said Thomas’ neighbor.
Police also spoke to a witness who said Thomas told them the victim was dead inside of the apartment for two days before he put her body in the U-Haul truck and burned it.
On Thursday, Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer told the defendant, “There is probable cause for the charges — it says you moved a body and then you burned it.”
Due to the extent of the victim’s burns, the medical examiner’s office has yet to positively identify the victim. However, they have determined that the victim died following trauma to her neck.
Thomas faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder with no bond, abuse of a dead, human body with a bond of $7,500, and tampering with physical evidence with a bond of $5,000. So far, there is probably cause for the charges.