Miami-Dade police arrest man in drive-by shooting that caused death of two sisters
The sisters were visiting friends when they were shot.
Miami-Dade police have arrested 20-year-old Drakar Smith and charged him with the deaths of two sisters and wounding two other people in a drive-by shooting.
Miami-Dade police have arrested 20-year-old Drakar Smith and charged him with the deaths of two sisters and with wounding two other people in a drive-by shooting that occurred in Northwest Miami-Dade last month.
Detectives charged Smith with one count of second-degree felony murder, one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the deaths of Stephanie Telusme, 27, and her sister Joanna Telusme, 24, in the April 14th shooting, according to NBC 6 Miami. The sisters died at the scene. The two other victims, Robert Allen, 30, and Jennifer Charles, 24, were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital and are in stable condition.
—GAO says HUD Secretary Ben Carson broke the law with unauthorized purchases—
NBC 6 Miami reported that Smith, who was initially in a vehicle with several other men but took off running on foot after a police pursuit, was found by police hiding underneath tarp behind a resident’s house. He is reportedly on probation for previous charges of check forgery and resisting an officer without violence.
Family members of the sisters say they were visiting friends at the time they were killed.
The Miami-Dade Police Director and the State Attorney both called the shooting a random act.
—California students to face consequences for racist ‘promposal’—
“These two young women were innocent victims of the type of random violence my prosecutors and the Miami Dade Police Homicide Task Force are committed to ending,” State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement, according to NBC 6 Miami. “I am grateful that the collaboration between the State Attorney’s Northside Gun Initiative and the Miami-Dade Police Department Homicide Unit resulted in an arrest in this case. Though it will not bring back these two young sisters, it will bring the culprit to justice.”
“Senseless gun violence in Miami-Dade County will not be tolerated,” added Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez, in a statement. “I’m thankful that the combined efforts of our Task Force and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office can assist in bringing those responsible for these tragic deaths to justice.”
No bond was set for Smith.
