MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A 64-year-old woman confessed to killing a homeless romantic rival outside of a public library in Miami-Dade County, police said.
Joyce Ann Small put her hand in her purse and pulled out a black and silver gun — and as the victim begged for her life —fired at her until she fell down, stood over her, and shot her in the head, a witness reported, according to police.
After her arrest, Small refused to talk to police officers at first, but she later changed her mind and identified the victim as “Sarai,” a homeless woman she had helped, according to the Miami Gardens Police Department’s arrest report.
Small said she had welcomed “Sarai” into her home to allow her to take a shower and sleep there from time to time until she started to believe “Sarai” had become “involved” with her boyfriend, according to the report.
Small said she followed her boyfriend — who is married to someone else and was mistreating her and beating her up — but she couldn’t find evidence of their affair, which she knew was happening, according to the report.
Small said “Sarai” was purposely agitating her before she shot her at about 5:30 p.m., on Wednesday, outside of the North Dade Regional Library in Miami Gardens, according to the police report.
Miami-Dade fire rescue personnel pronounced the victim dead shortly after 5:40 p.m., in the parking lot of the public library at 2455 NW 183 St., while it was open and was scheduled to close at 8 p.m.
The public library’s surveillance video shows Smalls coming out from the bushes to ambush the victim who was walking toward the parking lot, according to the arrest report.
Detectives found the Smith and Wesson, .40 caliber firearm, near a walking trail, northeast of the library, and Smalls walking northbound on Northwest 24 Avenue, according to the arrest report.
Correctional officers booked her at about 12:40 a.m., on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. She was held without bond.
Prosecutors filed the first-degree felony murder case on Thursday, and Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch was set to preside over the case. Attorney Aileen Penate Hernandez was listed as her public defender.
Detectives were asking anyone with information about the case to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
Crime scene location