MIAMI – Miami police arrested a suspect Thursday who they say is accused of fatally shooting a man at a bus way in Miami nearly two months ago.
The shooting was reported at 6:53 a.m. on June 6 at the bus way at 6043 NW Sixth Court.
Recommended Videos
According to a Miami police arrest report, Malik Monquel Thomas, 27, is facing one charge of second-degree murder with a weapon.
Miami police told Local 10 News they were called to the scene in reference to a man who was bleeding.
When officers arrived, they found the victim, identified only as a man in his 20s, who had been shot.
“They tried to wake him up. Next thing when they turned him over, blood was coming out,” a witness, identified only as Emmanuel, told Local 10 News on June 6.
The victim was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he died.
According to the report, Thomas told police that the incident occurred while he was walking to a McDonald’s and he had a verbal altercation with the victim.
Authorities said Thomas told investigators that following the argument, the victim grabbed a metal pipe and swung it twice at him near the bus station.
According to detectives, Thomas’ grandfather eventually picked him up from the bus way and drove him to the City of Miami Police Department’s North Station.
After being questioned by police, authorities said Thomas denied having a cellphone when authorities asked to search it and he later gave several conflicting statements about the incident.
After conducting an autopsy of the victim at the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office, doctors determined that the victim’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the neck and ruled his death a homicide.
Authorities said after obtaining video surveillance from multiple locations in the area, Thomas was seen arriving at the McDonald’s in a gray Nissan Altima and then exiting his car and pushing the victim in an aggressive manner.
Police said Thomas kept attacking the victim and a witness who was nearby.
According to the arrest report, surveillance video showed the victim at one point picking up a metal pipe, but at no point was he seen swinging it at Thomas or acting in an aggressive manner.
Authorities said additional surveillance video showed Thomas walking away from the victim and going to the passenger side of his vehicle and reaching inside it.
Police said Thomas was then seen jogging behind the victim, attempting to catch up to him.
Surveillance video from nearby businesses showed Thomas following the victim towards the bus station before they walked off camera, the arrest report stated.
Police said approximately 1 minute and 14 seconds later, a gunshot was heard in the audio of one of the surveillance videos.
Authorities said a check of the 911 calls received that day revealed that Thomas never made a 911 call after stating that he did attempt to contact the police.
The witness told police that he was with the victim on the day of the incident when Thomas came up to them in an aggressive manner, stating that the victim had recently broken into his garage, authorities said.
After police located Thomas at his house around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, he was taken into custody and transported to the Miami Police Department’s homicide office.
After reading Thomas his Miranda Rights, police said he continued to give conflicting statements and stated that he did not know who the victim and the witness were.
As of Friday, Thomas was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.