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Miami (October 7, 2022) – State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and City of Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales announce the arrest of 24-year-old James Calvin Velazquez in relation to the homicide of 85-year-old Elizabeth Level, affectionately known in the community as Miss Liz. The elderly grandmother died of a fatal gunshot wound to the head while sitting on a chair outside her Liberty City home on the evening of September 9, 2022. Velazquez is being charged with one (1) count of First-Degree Murder.
“Our elderly residents should never have to fear anything while sitting peacefully on their own front porch,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Yet, this is exactly the type of peace that gun-toting gang members wish to steal from the residents of our community. No member of Miami-Dade’s law enforcement community will let that happen. I commend the City of Miami Police Department for their investigative determination aimed at bringing this individual before the judges of our criminal courts.”
Important information regarding the shooting was obtained from a City of Miami Police Department Real Time Crime Center trailer camera which had been previously placed directly across from Elizabeth Level’s residence due to previous shootings and investigations occurring at the address. Family members residing at Miss Liz’s home are alleged members of a specific gang. Velazquez is alleged to be a member of a rival gang.
“The Miami Police Department is committed to seeking justice for all crime victims in the City of Miami, particularly for the most vulnerable among us,” stated City of Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales. “Elizabeth Level was an elderly resident of our City who deserved to live her golden years in peace. Instead, her life was abruptly and violently ended by a bullet intended for someone else. The arrest of James Velazquez for the murder of Ms. Level is only the first of several expected additional arrests. The men and the women of the Miami Police Department will ensure that all those involved in this heinous crime are brought to justice.”
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For further information, please contact Ed Griffith, Public Information Officer, at (305) 547-0535 or EdGriffith@MiamiSAO.com