FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a woman whose body was found inside her car Wednesday night outside a home located at 2921 Northwest 24th Street.
Officers responding to reports of a shooting just before midnight found the body of 22-year-old Kimone Mattis inside the vehicle. She was taken to Broward General Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
Her parents spoke with Local 10's Christina Vazquez Thursday, saying they are heartbroken but hopeful that someone will help detectives track down the person who killed their daughter.
"I wish I could bring her back," said Mattis' mother, Paula Walker. "I wish I could touch her. I wish I could, but I can't. She's gone."
"Please, we're begging," said Lester Mattis. "Neighbors, anybody seen anything around, please," said the heartbroken father.
Kimone Mattis was the mother of a 15-month old girl named Sky.
"My granddaughter never even got to know her mother," Lester Mattis said.
Eric Rudolph, the owner of Irie Takeout in Lauderdale Lakes, was Mattis' boss.
"She was a very nice person," he said. "I never see anybody she had any argument or anything."
Rudolph said she had just started working there about two weeks ago. On Wednesday, she left early.
"She said she didn't feel well and she going home," Rudolph told Local 10. "I said she could go."
Rudolph said Kimone Mattis dropped him off at his home first, before driving off. That was around 4:30 on Wednesday afternoon, he said.
According to police, the shooting happened a little more than 7 hours later.
They are now investigating where she was during that time and who she may have been with.
"It tore me apart in less than a second," Lester Mattis said. "It's unbelievable that someone just comes and destroys my life in seconds."
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Mark Breen at 954-828-5708 or Broward Crimestoppers at 954-493-8477 (TIPS).
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