MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A homeless man was arrested Thursday after police accused him of shooting another man to death outside of a southwest Miami-Dade grocery store last month.
Miami-Dade police said they were dispatched to respond to a ShotSpotter alert just after 4 p.m. Feb. 8 in front of the Davis Grocery Store, located at 21630 SW 120th Ave., in the county’s Goulds area.
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Police said they arrived in the area and found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso, face and neck area. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel arrived shortly thereafter and pronounced the victim dead at 4:21 p.m., an arrest report stated.
Investigators confirmed the victim arrived at the Davis Grocery Store in a black Mazda 6 and was accompanied by unidentified individuals.
The victim exited the vehicle, entered the store and made purchases using cash, the report stated.
Upon leaving the store and returning to the vehicle, Edquan Siquaro Whatley, 26, emerged from the rear passenger side and fired multiple shots at the victim, according to police.
Police said Whatley then re-entered the vehicle from the same side, which swiftly departed the area, traveling southbound on Southwest 120th Avenue.
According to the report, the murder was captured on surveillance cameras from the grocery store.
Investigators promptly released a flyer with information about the car used during the shooting. Shortly after, police said Whatley was identified as the vehicle’s registered owner.
On Wednesday, MDPD’s High-Value Surveillance Task Force was conducting surveillance on a residence located near the 900 block of Northwest 96th Street -- a place where they said Whatley often visited.
While watching video surveillance, police said they observed Whatley leaving the home and apprehended him.
According to the report, Whatley was arrested for two outstanding warrants on separate charges of fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer at a high speed during an incident on Jan.4 and was later subsequently transported to the MDPD’s Homicide Bureau for questioning.
After reading Whatley his Miranda Rights, police said he provided several inconsistent statements that contradicted the evidence and surveillance footage obtained from the scene.
Detectives confirmed that Whatley eventually provided a video-recorded confession but did not specify exactly what he confessed to.
Jail records show Whatley is facing one count of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
As of Friday, he was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Miami-Dade police have not released the victim’s name due to their ongoing investigation.
A motive for the shooting remains unclear at this time.
