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Residents Horrified Over Front Yard Slaying Of New Neighbor

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KENDALL (CBSMiami) -- A month before a woman was allegedly murdered by her husband in the front yard of their Kendall home, the couple were the newest residents in the neighborhood.

Kendall Murder
Police investigate the death of Barbara Diaz, 44, at her home in Kendall. (Source: CBS4)

Neighbors said there were problems at the house that sits at 10770 S.W. 43 Terrace on the very first day they moved in.

"The first day he got to the house, it seemed like everything was wrong," said neighbor Tony Gato. "It seemed like everything was jinxed. He had a mini heart attack."

But Rolando Garcia, 53, didn't come off as the type of person to commit the grisly crime police have charged him with.

"I thought it was crazy, impossible," Gato said. "He didn't look like the sort of guy who would do something like that."

Police said Garcia turned himself in and confessed to killing his wife of 10 years, Barbara Diaz, 44, with a knife. Her body was found on the driveway.

"He seemed like a nice person. He operated a store around here," Garcia said. "He seemed like a nice person."

In bond court Saturday, Garcia said nothing as he listened to a judge and translator.

He was charged with 2nd degree murder.

"There can be punishment by life," said the judge. "So there will be no bond in your case."

Garcia was appointed a public defender, who invoked his client's right to remain to silent and to have counsel.

He was arrested Friday night after his wife's body was discovered. A Be on the Lookout bulletin was issued for his vehicle, just as Garcia was driving his Ford Explorer to the fire station at S.W. 60th Street and 82nd Avenue.

"They noticed the vehicle that arrived there was the same one that they had issued a BOLO for," said Miami-Dade Police Det. Alvaro Zabaleta. "Once he entered, he made some statements."

Those statements included Garcia admitting to the murder, police said.

Investigators are now trying to determine why. CBS4's Peter D'Oench was told more information would be released on Monday.

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