FLORIDA CITY, Fla. — The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday identified a 25-year-old man as the suspect in a New Year’s Day shooting that they say left another man dead in Florida City.
Investigators said Patrick Own Watson is facing charges in the murder of 45-year-old Pernell Bailey.
According to authorities, on Jan. 1 at about 5:50 p.m., the Homestead Police Department notified Florida City police about a ShotSpotter alert detecting 22 gunshots at a home in the 500 block of Northwest 16th Street.
Officers arrived and found Bailey in the front yard suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
He was airlifted by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to Jackson South Medical Center, where he later died. Authorities said the shooting occurred at approximately 7:50 p.m., and Bailey succumbed to his injuries two days later.
Detectives said Bailey had been sitting on the front porch when a white Kia Sportage drove to the intersection of Northwest Fifth Avenue and Northwest 16th Street. Occupants inside the vehicle began shooting at the home before fleeing north on Northwest Fifth Avenue.
They said the SUV was later recovered and towed.
Deputies said CCTV footage depicted the suspect, and investigators collected a DNA sample and other items of “evidentiary value” from the SUV. Authorities said the vehicle was rented through Hertz.
A witness told deputies she knew Watson by the nickname “Fat Pat” and saw him driving the Kia on the day of the shooting.
She said she heard multiple gunshots shortly afterward, according to the report.
Detectives said they also used GPS data to help place the suspect at the scene.
Jail records show Watson is facing one count each of first-degree murder and possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon.
As of Tuesday afternoon, he was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
A motive for the shooting remains unclear.
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