Police charge man in Homestead teenager's murder

Fernando Granados charged in Tiffany Cabreja's murder

Tiffany Cabreja

MIAMI – Police on Friday made an arrest in the murder of 18-year-old Tiffany Cabreja.

A tip led investigators to Fernando Granados, who was charged with second-degree murder. Granados, 20, admitted to killing Cabreja, Miami-Dade police spokesman Det. Roy Rutland said during a news conference.

"The suspect did in fact provide a full confession to our investigators," said Rutland.

Cabreja's body was found at a construction site in the 28200 block of SW 144th Avenue on Sept. 21.

"The body was left here like she was trash, like she was, she was, she was a animal, she was a rag doll," said her cousin, Jorge Guzman

According to the arrest affidavit, Granados told detectives that he and his friend picked up Cabreja from her home Friday night. The three of them went to Leisure City Park, where they smoked crack cocaine, then went to the construction site. 

Detectives say Granados admitted that he began to choke Cabreja, and held her while his friend hit her.

"It appears the motive is that this man was under the influence of crack, and that is when he apparently lost control and killed her," said Rutland.

The medical examiner determined she died from strangulation and blunt force trauma. When her body was found, a ligature had been tied around her neck and a bag was over her head, police say. 

"Based on the physical evidence we have, we believe she was alive when she arrived at the field and was murdered at the field itself," said Rutland.

Police are still searching for Granados' friend.

"By no means is this investigation over simply because we made an arrest," added Rutland.

Friends and family said Granados was a former boyfriend of Cabreja.

"She knew this guy for a very long time," said Guzman. "They had a relationship going on for many years."

"They still -- you would see them together and they were friends," said Brittney Riggin.

"But he had problems," added Adrianne Guerra.

Earlier in the week, police questioned another man connected to a commercial truck, which witnesses had told police they saw a woman's body fall out of it.

On Tuesday, police recovered that truck and began questioning Miguel Infante. He told them it was not Cabreja's body that witnesses saw, but that of his girlfriend's. She had fallen out of the truck when she opened the door. Infante was then released.

Infante and his girlfriend have been cleared in the investigation, Rutland said.

Anyone with information on the second man wanted is asked to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS.


About the Authors:

Elsa Bolt is a South Florida native and an Emmy Award Winning Executive News Producer. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Miami in 2008, she entered the news industry and has spent most of her career with Local 10 News.