Marijuana Lab Found In House Of Double Shooting, Deadly Crash Suspect
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Investigators had hoped to find clues inside Antonio Feliu's West Miami-Dade home that could explain why he shot and killed two women before leading officers on a deadly, two-county chase.
Instead, they discovered a fully hydroponics lab at the one-story house along Southwest 100th Avenue at 20th Street, Miami-Dade Police officials said Thursday.
Narcotics investigators seized 43 marijuana plants with a street value of approximately $107,500, police said.
Neighbors along Feliu's quiet street said they had no idea what he was up to.
"From the crash yesterday where it happened way out there in Griffin Road to find out the man who is now deceased was renting here, 2 blocks from where I live, it's unreal," Roland Mas said.
Mas did not know Feliu.
Neither did Arnold Rafuls.
Rafuls said the neighborhood is typically quiet, but he wasn't surprised to learn of the grow house discovery.
"Nobody is secure here," Rafuls said. "You don't know what's going to happen from one minute to another. Innocent people are dying."
Maritza Medina, 48, died when Feliu's SUV t-boned her sedan at the intersection of US 27 and Griffin Road as he led cops on a high-speed chase.
BSO Deputy John Kelly, BSO Sgt. John Rodriguez and Miami-Dade Police Officer Jonathan Dweck tried to save her life, but it was too alte.
"I've been doing this for 23 years and this ranks right up there as one of the most horrific scenes," Deputy John Kelly said.
As police approached the Feliu's SUV with their guns drawn, they quickly retreated as shots were fired from inside the vehicle.
Officers from Miami-Dade police, the Broward Sheriff's Office, Davie police and Pembroke Pines police were involved in the stand-off.
At 11 a.m. Wednesday morning, the SWAT team members from Miami-Dade, BSO, Pembroke Pines and Davie moved in, surrounded the vehicle, looked in the windows and then opened the driver's side door. Inside, they found the body of Feliu. Police said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
More than 30 miles away in South Miami Heights, officers entered another horrific scene.
Vivian Gallego Martinez, 51, and her daughter Anabel Benitez, 28, were found shot inside their efficiency apartment.
Neither mother nor daughter survived.
On Thursday, distraught loved ones cleared out the home.
"It's been hard," family friend Boris Anoceto said. "Great mother, great daughter. Beautiful the relationship they had."
But Gallego-Martinez's relationship with estranged boyfriend Feliu remains a mystery to many, as does Feliu's motive for murder.
The below video is graphic unedited video of the chase and crash.
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