Argument at motorcycle club leads to fatal shooting in Pompano Beach

Shooting suspect leads authorities on chase, crashes car in Tamarac

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A man fatally shot his friend in Pompano Beach and then crashed his car while trying to elude authorities, Broward Sheriff's Office deputies said.

Deputies were called to a report of shots fired just after 10 p.m. Thursday on Southwest 15th Street, at a business that is used by the motorcycle club Top Gunz MC.

When deputies arrived, they found Hector Alvarez, 25, of Deerfield Beach, shot to death.

BSO spokeswoman Joy Oglesby said the shooting suspect, identified as Roosevelt Francois, 30, fled the scene before deputies arrived, but they issued an alert for his car, which was first spotted by Margate police. She said police and deputies attempted to stop Francois, but he refused to stop and eventually crashed, flipping his car on Southgate Boulevard in Tamarac.

Francois was taken to Broward Health North to be treated for minor injuries. He was then taken into custody on a charge of first-degree murder.

A man who spoke to Local 10 News said he was a friend of Alvarez and Francois. He said they were both members of the same motorcycle club.

"This was a situation where two people had an argument as silly as the color of your shoelaces, and it escalated from there and snowballed," he said.

He said there is "no logical justification" for the shooting.

Alvarez's sister said her brother was a hard-working mechanic who was expecting a baby daughter in about a month.

"My brother was talking about how good he was doing at work, with his family, with his baby girl," Patricia Ferrer told Local 10.

Ferrer said Francois had been in a motorcycle crash a year ago, and it was Alvarez who was by his side, bringing him food and being there for him as a friend.


About the Authors:

Peter Burke returned for a second stint of duty at Local 10 News in February 2014.