MIAMI — Miami police are investigating an early-morning “physical altercation” that they said left one man dead and another in custody Tuesday morning.
The incident happened just before 8:15 a.m. at Princess Gardens Assisted Living Facility, located at 5120 NW Fourth Terrace, according to Miami police.
Authorities said both men were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where one was pronounced dead. The other man remained in custody as the investigation continued.
Neighbors said ambulances are common outside the facility, but the heavy police presence was unusual.
“We see ambulances a lot, you know people get sick or die but today was different,” one neighbor said. Another added, “This is a first.”
One resident who spoke with someone connected to the facility said she heard that the attack began when “one patient woke up and strangled another patient.”
Police, however, have not confirmed that account or released details about what led up to the altercation.
Another neighbor said her husband witnessed officers taking one man away.
“My husband saw, he didn’t video it, but there was a guy cuffed to the ambulance that took him,” she said.
By Tuesday afternoon, residents in wheelchairs were being escorted back into the facility as nurses maneuvered around crime scene tape and police cars parked outside.
Neighbors said they were left unsettled by the rare violence in what is usually a quiet community.
“How do you prevent this? I mean this is a place for old folks, not the mentally ill. It’s not a usual occurrence, so it’s like how do you prevent?” one resident asked.
Police said the circumstances leading up to the confrontation remain under investigation. No further details about the men involved have been released.
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