Hotel Employee Killed Trying To Stop Stolen Van
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
CORAL GABLES (CBSMiami) – A hotel employee is dead after attempting to stop a man stealing a company van outside the Courtyard by Marriott in Coral Gables.
Family members confirmed the victim is Eladio Rodriguez, 62. He had been in the U.S. for two years, from Cuba, working for the hotel.
Police say Rodriguez was driving the company van Saturday afternoon and left it unattended outside the hotel on South LeJune Road.
That's when Edward William Reid, 40, got behind the wheel and accelerated, according to police.
Rodriguez tried to stop him but was run over.
He was rushed to the hospital but did not survive his injuries.
"We're talking about an individual, a 62-year-old man that was at work, came in to work obviously to earn a living," said Alvaro Zabaleta with Miami-Dade Police. "Right before the holidays, now the family will have to grieve their loss. This is something that we extend our hearts to, to the family, of course, approaching the holiday season."
For hours, investigators gathered evidence and interviewed possible witnesses. The van was recovered a few blocks away after crashing into several vehicles.
Rodriguez was a husband and father of three, his youngest son is 19 years old. He was married for 20 years to his wife and were saving to buy a home.
"Eladio was a man who was a very hard worker," said his niece Gema Caballero. "He came to this county like all the other Cubans, to have a better future."
Reid was taken into custody and faces numerous charges including 1st degree murder, carjacking and three counts of kidnapping.
