MIAMI — Miami police have arrested a 79-year-old man who they said killed his roommate Tuesday morning at an assisted living facility in the city’s Flagami neighborhood.
According to an arrest report obtained Wednesday by Local 10 News, Jerome John Babij was arrested on a second-degree murder charge.
Police said officers responded to the Princess Gardens Assisted Living Facility, located at 5120 NW Fourth Terrace, around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a call about two patients who were fighting.
Officers arrived at the scene and found the victim unresponsive in a bedroom and Babij being held down by nursing staff in the hallway.
According to the report, detectives discovered that the two men had been roommates for about six months at the facility and had never had any prior issues or incidents.
Police said witnesses told them that they went to the room after hearing an altercation and saw Babij sitting on the bed, with the victim seated on the floor between his legs as Babij had both hands wrapped around the victim’s neck, choking him.
“He’s trying to kill me!” the victim shouted, according to the witnesses.
Police said the witnesses dragged Babij out of the room, but Babij kicked the victim in the head and leg in the process.
According to the report, Babij was swinging both arms as he tried to hit the witnesses and also grabbed a fire extinguisher and tried to attack them with it.
Police said the nursing staff held Babij down on the floor until police arrived.
The victim was transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition, but he later died.
Police said Babij was also taken to JMH’s Emergency Room to be treated for minor injuries to his hand.
As of Wednesday morning, Babij was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Online jail records listed his bond as “to be set.”
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