'He wasn't supposed to go' daughter of slain Pembroke Pines man says at funeral

Police search for clues in Ollie Mingo's death

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A  flower-draped casket was wheeled out of a Pembroke Pines funeral home Wednesday after a somber ceremony.

The service was for Ollie Mingo, a father of three who was shot and killed about a week ago when he was in a car with two of his children.

"He wasn't supposed to go. He was supposed to stay. That was the wrong person," Alexus Mingo, 11, said about her dad. "He was very nice. He was a nice dad."

Alexus is Mingo's youngest daughter.

Her two older siblings were in the car with their dad one week ago when someone unleashed a hail of bullets into the vehicle.

The 14- and 17-year-old children escaped serious injury.

But Mingo, still wearing his work uniform,  was pronounced dead after his bullet-riddled car slammed into a utility pole.

The shooting happened near Northwest Ninth Street and Northwest Seventh Avenue in Hallandale Beach.

Scott Stephens spoke about his co-worker.

"He was a great person," he said. "He just had an infectious smile and cared about everybody."

Detectives are also puzzled by the killing of a man with no criminal past. They've gone door to door with urgent flyers in the neighborhood to chase leads.

Still, in between all of the hugs and tears, there is a bit of peace.

It's even felt by a young girl who just faced with the task of having to bury her own father.

"I'm not going to cry," Alexus Mingo said. "He's in a better place now. He's going to live on in my heart for a very long time." 


About the Author:

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.