Barry University Murder; Police Tie Badly Burned Car To Student

MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Miami homicide detectives have positively identified a badly burned car that was found near an elementary school in Miami Gardens as that of murdered Barry University student Priscilla Torres. The Nissan Sentra was found earlier this month not far from Myrtle Grove Elementary School. The school is located at 3125 NW 176th St.

"The vehicle found engulfed in flames in the City of Miami Gardens on Feb. 13, 2018, at approximately 10 p.m. was the white 2017 Nissan Sentra being sought by homicide," according to Officer Michael Vega of the Miami Police Department.

Vega said earlier that police were alerted to similarities between the vehicle found in Miami Gardens and the vehicle that Torres was believed to have been operating around the time she was murdered.

Torres died of multiple gunshot wounds early on Feb 10 in the area of NW 29th Avenue and 12th Street. Miami Police were not immediately able to identify her body but released a police sketch that was recognized from a missing person flyer issued by the Miami Shores Police Department on Sunday.

Torres was found around 4:30 a.m. when someone heard shots and called police. She was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center by Miami Fire Rescue where she was pronounced dead.

Vega said that earlier that detectives planned to use the Vehicle Identification Number to identify the burned vehicle regardless of how much fire damage the car suffered.

"You can't even tell what color it was," said Vega at the time, referring to the car found in Miami Gardens. "There's hidden VIN plates all over on the car, about five or six different places. Many people don't know that."

Photo courtesy Miami Shores Police Department