MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A hotel in Northwest Miami-Dade is now the scene of multiple incidences — one involving a vicious attack of a tourist, and the other of multiple families who had been relocated there who felt unsafe.
Now, some concerned people say Miami-Dade County has an obligation to come to the Rodeway Inn to investigate its safety.
Ron Book, who heads the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the horrific video exclusively aired on Local 10 News, Wednesday evening.
“Your video told a thousand stories of what was wrong,” he said.
According to police, it all started when a 67-year-old woman was attacked at the Rodeway Inn in Northwest Miami-Dade on July 10 while vacationing in Miami with her husband.
Travon Smith was arrested for the vicious attack that happened in broad daylight.
“Husband gets beat, wife gets beat, and the wife gets sexually assaulted and they do nothing?” asked Book in disbelief.
Earlier in July, the Crestview Towers condo in North Miami Beach were deemed unsafe.
It just so happens that Book’s agency, the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, relocated 40 families from Crestview Towers into the Roadway Inn.
However, after book visited the Rodeway Inn, he immediately moved all the families out.
“Thank God our observations of the potential there were so great, that I was simply relieved that I didn’t have someone that I was responsible for protecting,” said Book.
Now there is a bigger issue at hand — what is the future of the Rodeway Inn?
“I think the county has an obligation to look at health, law enforcement, and code,” said Book.
However, no one at Rodeway Inn is talking.
Local 10 News spoke with a former employees of the Rodeway Inn, as well as the 68-year-old husband of the victim.
“Something like that should never happen,” said the former employee of the Rodeway Inn.
“You’re house hunting and this happens,” said the victim’s husband.
“It’s the Department of Health,” said Book. “I believe they’ve got to go in. I believe code enforcement has to go in, and I believe law enforcement has to go in.”