Grieving Mother Pleads For Public's Help After Son Is Gunned Down
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NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBSMiami) -- A grieving mother cried and collapsed Friday as she pleaded for the community's help in finding the gunman who shot and killed her 25-year-old son.
"I love you. I love you, my son," cried Jacqueline Gonzalez as she and the victim's girlfriend were inconsolable as they visited the scene of the crime by Willis D. Harding park in the Country Village community at N.W. 191st St. and N.W. 62nd Avenue.
Her son, Dayan Martinez, was shot and killed around 4 a.m. as he was standing beside his orange and copper-colored Nissan 340Z, according to Miami-Dade Police. The killer fled on foot.
Martinez's mother told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "They killed my son here last night. Please, I beg the community if you have seen something, anything, please help. I am heart-broken. Please help catch the killer. He got shot 3 times."
She had trouble imagining a reason why anyone would want to take his life.
"He had no problems. It is hard to lose a son," she said.
Martinez's cousin, Robert Medina, told D'Oench, "My cousin was a good kid. He was not a bad kid. He was a great guy and he was happy yesterday when I saw him. He got into some fights but nothing really unusual, God knows."
While Martinez's girlfriend was too upset to speak on camera, the family said they're desperate for answers.
"If anyone knows anything, speak up," Medina said. "We have got to find this guy. He is dangerous and armed. We have got to find him so he won't shoot anybody else."
Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman, Detective Robin Pinkard, said police did not have a motive or a description to release of the suspect.
However, one person was with the victim and may have saw something.
"The cops told me a lady was with him. She has been detained for questioning. The guy who shot my son was wearing a handkerchief around his neck," said Gonzalez.
Neighbors were understandably upset.
"I'm afraid that you can't be out in your neighborhood safe anymore. It leaves me speechless. I don't know why something like this would happen. I am concerned because I drive that way to work every day
early in the morning and I worry it could be me," said Gil Navarro. "You have to wonder how this could happen at 4:00 in the morning and what were they doing out at 4:00 in the morning."
Jorge Munera said he recognized the victim's uniquely-colored car. "I often saw the car speeding through the neighborhood, going really fast," he said.
Next-door neighbor Ismael Carmona helped police look at surveillance tape from his home and said he found the crime disturbing.
"I decorate my house and every day I do things for the kids and go to the park," he said. "This seemed quiet all the time and now this is nerve-wracking that this could have happened. I hope they catch the guy. It's too bad a young man had to die," Carmona said.
Another next-door neighbor, Michael Bloom, said, "This is the first time something like this has happened in my neighborhood. I have lived here 25 years. And it's very strange something like this happened."
If you can help Miami-Dade Police with this case, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477). There's a reward of up to $3,000.
