MIAMI – Miami police confirmed Wednesday that a suspect has been arrested in connection with Tuesday’s fatal shooting of a well-known business owner in Liberty City.
Ferris Phillips II, 38, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday night.
He faces a charge of first-degree murder with a firearm and is being held at the Broward County Jail, but will eventually be transferred to Miami-Dade County.
Detectives identified the victim as 46-year-old Nader Aweidah.
“The victim was well known in the community,” Officer Kiara Delva, a spokeswoman for the Miami Police Department, said.
Fire rescue personnel and police officers found Aweidah, also known as “Bubba,” dead at the Perfect Auto Paint & Body Shop, in the area of Northwest Seventh Avenue and 75th Street, also known as Miami’s Model City.
“He was an extraordinary person,” said body shop employee Richard Rios. “He had a heart of gold and he would take the shirt off his back for anyone.”
Rios told Local 10 News that Aweidah was killed inside his office, possibly during a disagreement with a customer.
“They screamed at me to call the police, and that’s all,” he said.
Rios said he was in the paint room when the shooting happened.
“They were trying to revive him but I saw when I walked by the office he was out of it, he was gone,” said Rios.
The body shop and the neighboring corner Bubba’s Supermarket, which records show Aweidah also owned, closed for over five hours after the shooting.
“He is just a great guy, heart of gold,” said Elias Dammous, who said Aweidah was a friend who regularly helped others.
A motive for the shooting has not yet been released.