New York tourist found murdered in Miami parking garage remembered by family, friends at funeral service
Friends of Chastidy Charlotte Rodriguez gathered at the Mother of Our Redeemer Catholic Parish to remember her.
City of Miami Police said that she and 31-year-old Darious Coon from Detroit, whom she had met in Miami, were discovered at 10 a.m. in a car that was on the 10th floor of a parking garage by an apartment building at Northeast 2nd Avenue and 4th Street, just west of Biscayne Boulevard and Bayfront Park.
Police said they had been shot and killed, and said it appeared that this did not involve a robbery since both of them still had their belongings with them.
Miami Police spokesman Ofc. Mike Vega told CBS News Miami that the crimes could have been committed anywhere between July 16 and 19. He also said they are reviewing surveillance tape between those dates and are appealing for anyone who heard or saw anything suspicious to come forward and call Miami Police or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
"I am praying that God will accept my friend to heaven," said Rodriguez's friend Franchesca Martinez. "I remember her as a good friend. She was a great person. She was a great mother. She was a great daughter."
She hopes the Miami Police investigation will pay off and lead to whoever committed the crimes.
"We need to resolve this issue," Martinez said. "I want whoever did this, I want them in jail, at least."
Rodriguez's brother told CBS News Miami that his sister had lived in New York City for more than 10 years and loved to visit Miami. He said she was thinking of leaving New York City in the next few years, and Miami would have been one of her top choices as her next destination.
He said that her body will be sent to the Dominican Republic in the next few days, and that's where family members will hold their funeral service for her.
"She was a good person and a good person and everyone around her knew she had a good heart. I don't want this to be just another case. We want justice," he told CBS News Miami on Friday. "We also need to know the motive because it is not fair that someone you love, who did not deserve this, had to go out so early. I hope detectives can find the person or the people who did this."
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