Exclusive: Miami Police Chief Asks For Public's Help After Two Tragedies
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes is making a plea for the public's help after two youngsters are shot and killed in one night in Miami.
"If you're not incensed by that and angry then I believe you have a problem," Llanes said in an exclusive interview with CBS4's Peter D'Oench.
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"I believe we should all be outraged that two young men, and one who just got into the double digits, would be killed in senseless violence in a matter of two hours," he said. "I've directed my staff to stop at nothing to solve these crimes and we are asking for the community's help. We need your help, whatever information you have, no matter how small you think it is, it may be a key part of our investigation."
Chief Llanes is speaking out after four youngsters were shot in Miami-Dade on Tuesday night.
Sixteen-year-old Richard Hallman died after he and another teenager were shot. Hallman had been a football player at Booker T. Washington H.S. and was a cousin of University of Florida football player Treon Harris.
A few hours later in Overtown, 10-year-old Marlon Eason was shot in the head while playing basketball on his front porch. He had gone into the street to get his basketball and was struck by a bullet.
"At this point we don't have any evidence that these crimes are connected other than the short time span they occurred from each other and the close proximity geographically that they had to each other," Llanes said.
Chief Llanes spoke with D'Oench before he and pastors from the community planned to go door to door in Overtown, passing out flyers that mention the reward in both cases is up to $3,000.
Marlon's mother Liz Ruffin said, "Please if you know anything please, help me, help me bring the killer to justice. They took a baby's life. He was all I had. He was a precious 10-year-old boy and I was away only two minutes at a stop sign and my baby was gone. He was only 10."
She told D'Oench, "You all step up. Come talk if you know anything, a name, just say something. Help us, help Merv. Do it for the kids. I want justice for my babies. Please."
Hallman's mother Tranell Harris said, "I don't know what happened. I have no feeling in my body. Now I am just hurting. I don't know who did this to my son. Lord, turn yourself in. I'm speechless. I am trying to stay strong for his siblings."
Anyone with information that can help Miami Police should call them or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
