Homeless Man Charged In Shooting Of Woman In Hollywood
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HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) - A 29-year-old homeless man is charged with trying to kill a 58-year-old Hollywood woman who had known him for 10 years and whose family members say had tried to help him in the best.
Fran Gillen told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that she and her sister Mary Ann were speaking outside in the courtyard between their apartments at 1836 Dewey Street at 5:40 a.m. when suddenly a homeless man who they know by the name of "Yellow" approached them and then followed Mary Ann Gillen into her apartment.
"He went into the apartment and shot her," said Fran Gillen. "I heard this gunshot and then I heard her make a sound like uhh. I was going to go to her until I heard the shot and then I ran to my door. I thought he was going to shoot me and I was terrified."
Hollywood Police said they have arrested Gregory Lee, whose last known address was on Grant Street. He is charged with attempted murder, armed robbery and burglary with an aggravated batter.
"It's terrible," said Fran Gillen. "I know him really well. I am surprised that he shot her. He's a very quiet mild guy and this came out of nowhere. And we really don't know the reason for it."
"This is a person who she has known for 10 years and she was always trying to help him out," she said."
"It just happened so fast," she said. "We were just sitting there and then when she went to go use the bathroom he came up running."
"My sister was shot in the left shoulder and it came out of her armpit and it exited her body," she said.
Gillen's boyfriend of nearly 20 years, Michael Warfield, showed D'Oench where his girlfriend was shot while in the bathroom of their apartment. He pointed to a bullet hole in the wall.
"That's where the bullet hit the wall," he said.
"I am hurt. I am really hurt," he said. "I was hurt because I was sleeping. What really hurts me the most is that I was not able to prevent it from happening."
"When I heard the shot I came out and saw my wife, my girlfriend, had a hole in her," he said. "I went after him and he jumped on top of the fence and he looked at me."
"I have seen him before," he said. "My girlfriend tried to help him out. He shouldn't have done something like that."
Both Warfield and Fran Gillen said they are grateful an arrest has been made.
"I'm glad it happened," Warfield said. "They finally got him."
"I feel safe," said Fran Gillen. "I finally feel safe."
She said her sister will be at Memorial Regional Hospital for at least a few more days and will recover.
"She's in a lot of pain," she said. "She is sore and has bruises but her spirits are pretty good."
