Homeless Murders Leave Miami Neighborhood On Edge

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FL — Donna Edwards may have been homeless, but that didn't keep her from leaving an impression on the people she passed on the street every day.

"I remember she used to come by and say hello," recalled Asaph Gioes, who owns an auto repair business called Friendly Repairs and Tires in the area where Edwards was known to frequent.

"If you didn’t like her, you got to be a devil," added a Haitian immigrant named Joseph, a block away. "She didn’t cause any trouble."

Trouble, nevertheless, found the 41-year-old Edwards as she was gunned down in broad daylight only steps away from a busy road, an Asian market, a beauty parlor and a number of other local businesses.

She was pronounced dead where she slumped to the ground around 3 p.m. Dec. 29. That was two days after two other homeless people were also discovered suffering from gunshot wounds, at nearby Oak Grove Park shortly after 7 a.m.

One of them — 40-year-old Rony Dassas — was pronounced dead near a public restroom; another man was still fighting for his life Friday in critical condition.

Chris Thomas of the Miami-Dade Police Department told Patch that investigators are still awaiting the result of ballistic testing to determine whether the same gun was used in all three shootings.

But Ronald L. Book, who chairs the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, said he doesn't need the results to know something unusual is happening within the homeless community.

"I’ve been the chairman of the Homeless Trust for 25 years, and we have never had a situation like this occur," Book said.

"Three people, all shot, same geographic area — two in one day. One a couple of days later," he said. "The facts speak for themselves."

What's more, a fourth homeless person was shot and killed Dec. 15 in downtown Miami, according to Officer Kiara Delva of the Miami Police Department.

She told Patch that investigators there have not yet determined whether the victim was targeted because he was homeless. His body was found under the Miami-Dade Metrorail in the rear of the 3000 block of SW 28 Lane.

Book and Miami-Dade police officers were canvassing the neighborhood Friday where Edwards was killed, handing out flyers to area businesses where people may have information about the slaying.

Thomas said officers and homeless advocates have also been attempting to reach out to the homeless population.

"They don’t have TVs and radios, some of them, so they wouldn’t know," Thomas acknowledged. "There’s not much they can do differently. Go to well-lit areas. Try and be close to fire stations, police stations, public areas where people can actually see what’s going on."

Book said he would be afraid if he had to live on the streets with a killer on the loose.

"We placed at least one, if not two, in shelters since our folks have been out making rounds," Book said. "If I were living out on the streets in this part of town, I would be hypersensitive."

Unfortunately, many of the homeless people who live on the street suffer from mental illness or addictions.

"They could still be here without really fully understanding and comprehending the magnitude of three people getting shot in the same basic vicinity," he said. "You don’t know whether you need to go somewhere safe, because it’s your way of life and you just don’t always have your faculties about you living on the streets.”

To report a tip, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477) or 866-471-8477. Alternatively, visit www.crimestoppersmiami.com and select "Give a Tip" or text "CSMD" followed by the tip information to 274637.