Latest news with #ZsoltZsolyomi
Washington Post
01-03-2025
- Washington Post
ICE ordered him deported. Then he killed 2 older gay men, police say.
A Hungarian man who was in the country illegally and slated for deportation was rearrested in Florida last week after he disabled his court-mandated ankle monitor and went on to strangle two older gay men, according to police. Zsolt Zsolyomi, 26, is being held in Miami-Dade County on two charges of second-degree murder for allegedly killing the men and staging their deaths to hide his actions, arrest warrants obtained by The Washington Post show. One man's body was found in a bathtub, the other in a car that police alleged Zsolyomi crashed into a concrete wall to make it appear as though the dead man had been driving. Police wrote in the warrants that Zsolyomi admitted to the killings after being apprehended.
Miami Herald
27-02-2025
- Miami Herald
Feds ordered him deported, but lost him. He's now accused of murdering 2 South Florida men
The arrest last week of a Hungarian national in Miami for a pair of murders that police believe he tried to cover up may have stopped a potential serial killer from striking again. But the strangulation deaths of the two older men — one on South Beach, the other in Little Havana — could have been avoided had the accused killer been sent home several months before the murders, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement realized he'd overstayed his 90-day visa waiver by more than two years and ordered him deported. READ MORE: Hungarian national jailed after allegedly killing 2 older men in separate incidents, cops say Instead, Zsolt Zsolyomi, 26, was fitted with an ankle monitor that he somehow managed to disable. And over the next five months he became a ghost to immigration and police, before his capture last week. 'Zsolyomi is an illegal alien from Hungary who overstayed his visa,' said ICE spokesman Nestor Yglesias. Two murders after deportation orders The Hungarian national was ordered deported two months before Carlos Alonso Villaquiran, 66, was discovered strangled face down in 6 inches of bathtub water in his Miami Beach apartment. Two months later, Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, 71, was found dead, his driver's side seat belt fastened tightly around his neck after his car careened into a fence in Miami. Police believe both murders were staged. Both men had photos of Zsolyomi on their cellphones, police said. And at least one of the men, Villaquiran, had a relationship with the Hungarian, according to police. The strange tale of Zsolyomi's disappearance began in July 2024, when he was charged with robbing a woman of $50 on Miami Beach and ICE issued him a final order of removal. The next five months, however, would be filled with a series of questionable decisions by immigration officials and extreme violence by Zsolyomi, according to police. Despite his July arrest, ICE didn't take Zsolyomi into custody until Sept. 6. That day, he was transferred to the Krome Detention Center in south Miami-Dade, fitted with an ankle monitor and released through the Alternatives Detention Program. By Sept. 19, Homeland Security's Intensive Supervision Appearance Program alerted ICE that Zsolyomi's monitor had been tampered with. ICE said Zsolyomi was notified and told to report, but 'he absconded,' ICE's Yglesias said. It wasn't until Sept. 25 that Zsolyomi's case was referred to ICE's Fugitive Operations Unit. And law enforcement didn't see him again in person until Feb. 19 — five months later — when Miami and Miami Beach police captured him in downtown Miami and charged him with the murders of the two men. The day after Zsolyomi's arrest last week, ICE asked Miami-Dade Corrections to hold him an extra 48 hours for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, should he be released. But a spokesman for Miami-Dade Corrections said a release is not likely to happen. 'He's not leaving our jail anytime soon,' said corrections spokesman Juan Diasgranados. 'He has to satisfy our local charges. He will be prosecuted here.' Still, whether Zsolyomi is returned to Hungary before a trial is worth questioning. The Trump administration is intensely focused on returning immigrants who have committed crimes or overstayed their visas, back to their home country. Though the effort has so far been scattershot, immigration officials seem to be ignoring immigrants who have been denied bond and instead focusing on those released after being charged with a crime. Zsolyomi, who's been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, remains jailed at the Turner Guilford Knight correctional center and has been denied bond. Questioning why he wasn't deported Doral immigration attorney Angel Leal said Zsolyomi will likely stand trial in South Florida. But he takes exception to the way the Hungarian citizen was handled by ICE. Leal said the federal agency had several opportunities to return Zsolyomi long before the two men were murdered. Leal also said when Zsolyomi entered the U.S. in 2022, Hungary was part of a visa waiver program that allowed visitors to stay without question for three months. 'But if you overstay, you're summarily deported,' said the attorney. 'It's inexplicable to me why he was not removed after the 90 days or after he was charged with the strong-armed robbery.' Court records show Zsolyomi is represented by Miami-Dade Assistant Public Defender Brian Mccormack. The public defender's office refused comment. As did family members of the men he is charged with killing. Controversial Florida law may come into play The unusual case could also be one of the first to fall under Florida's newest and controversial law, the automatic death sentence of any undocumented immigrant convicted of a capital offense. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law just two weeks ago. Under the new law, any immigrant in the country illegally and convicted of a capital felony — such as murder or the sexual abuse of a young child — must be sentenced to death, removing the jury's discretion and challenging constitutional precedent. REALTY CHECK: Can Florida automatically sentence undocumented immigrants to death for capital crimes? Charges against Zsolyomi could rise to first-degree murder if the state sends the case to a grand jury and it indicts him. Both first- and second-degree murder are capital offenses. Miami-Dade State Attorney Spokesman Ed Griffith said his office wouldn't speculate on whether Zsolyomi's case falls under the new law. He also said it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing case outside of a courtroom. After Zsolyomi's arrest last week, police stopped just short of calling him a serial killer. They did say they were concerned there could be other victims and asked anyone with information to come forward. 'There's a certain prey and pattern,' said Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales. 'The guy would do it again.' First a robbery, then two murders ICE records show Zsolyomi entered the U.S. from Hungary on Oct. 2, 2022, through the 90-day visa waiver program. But he stayed well past that, apparently blending in with the transient nature of Miami Beach. Sometimes he slept at other people's homes. Other times he lived on the street. Police believe he traveled as far north as Gainesville and also visited Osceola County and Orlando. Zsolyomi's first interaction with law enforcement appears to be in April 2024 when the Broward Sheriff's Office arrested him on a petit theft charge. Details weren't immediately available. His arrest warrant for the two murders says he told police his name was Thomas Kray — the same fictitious name he used after another arrest and with one of his victims, according to police. In July of 2024, Zsolyomi's exploits escalated and caught the attention of a larger audience. It was a mid-afternoon on Miami Beach and Zsolyomi — shirtless, homeless and riding a trolley, according to his arrest report — watched as a woman took cash from her purse. He grabbed $50 from her and took off on foot. A small group and the woman gave chase. They pinned him at a Lincoln Road store and got the attention of police. Zsolyomi was taken into custody and charged with a single count of strong-armed robbery. State prosecutors dropped the charge on Sept. 25, a day after Zsolyomi was taken into custody by ICE. Police believe his first murder was less than two months later. On Nov. 21, family members concerned they hadn't heard from Villaquiran went to his Pennsylvania Avenue apartment. Inside they found the amputee dead in the bathroom. A camera in the apartment complex captured footage of a thin white male in dark clothing and a baseball cap entering and exiting the apartment several times a day earlier. He was the only person seen. Villarquin's car and house key were missing. Police also discovered several intimate texts on the victim's cellphone between him and a man named 'Thomas.' In the texts, Villarquin accuses Thomas — who can be seen wearing a monitor on his left ankle — of being abusive. Police said Villarquin discovered Thomas' real name and threatened to go to police if his personal belongings weren't returned. Villarquin's stolen 2002 Honda CRV was found the night of the murder. It was involved in an accident on Southwest 22nd Avenue and 13th Street. Zsolyomi bailed, police said, but they were able to retrieve his fingerprints. On Jan. 20, the lead Miami Beach detective was notified by Miami Police of a similar crime. A day earlier, a car had crashed into a fence in Little Havana with Fernandez de Velasco's body inside. But the cause of death wasn't the accident, according to Miami-Dade's Medical Examiner. Rather, de Velasco was found with his seat belt twisted tightly around his neck. Police found Zsolyomi's fingerprints on the vehicle and identified him through pictures on de Velasco's cellphone. Zsolyomi was captured in downtown Miami on Feb. 19. He didn't put up a fight and police said he admitted to both murders. They said he knew Villarquin for a few weeks and that Zsolyomi had only met de Velasco at a gas station less than four hours before his death.
Miami Herald
21-02-2025
- Miami Herald
Hungarian national jailed for murdering 2 elderly men in separate incidents, cops say
An early morning possible hit-and-run in Miami last month led detectives to a grueling discovery at the alleged hands of a Hungarian national, authorities said. He was put behind bars for two murders Wednesday, but police are still searching for other possible victims. On January 19, Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, a 71-year-old disabled man, was behind the wheel of a black 2014 Kia Soul that slammed into a sidewall in Miami, at Northwest 14th Avenue and Northwest Second Street, Miami police said. Officers were initially called out to a possible hit-and-run, but that changed when they discovered Fernandez de Velasco dead with both front seatbelts wrapped around his neck. In their search for answers, police checked nearby surveillance footage, which showed the crash and an unknown man getting out of the passenger seat before officers arrived. Fernandez de Velasco's cause of death was later revealed to be asphyxiation, promptly launching a homicide investigation. Not only did they find an alleged suspect, but they also linked him to a similar murder in Miami Beach involving an elderly, disabled man. He was found dead in his home on Nov. 21. Detectives, with the help of Miami Beach police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, identified the mystery man as 25-year-old Hungarian national Zsolt Zsolyomi, police said. 'Our detectives conducted a comprehensive investigation in partnership with the City of Miami Police Department, resulting in the successful apprehension of Zsolt Zsolyomi.' Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones said in a statement. 'We remain committed to pursuing justice for the victim and his family.' Zsolyomi was caught on Wednesday, after detectives obtained an arrest warrant, by Miami police's felony apprehension team in downtown Miami. According to police, Zsolyomi confessed to detectives about the murders. He is currently being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on two counts of second-degree murder. Authorities are asking anyone who may have been victimized by Zsolt Zsolyomi or who has information related to similar cases to call the Miami Police Department's Homicide Unit at 305-603-6350. 'This successful partnership between Miami Police, Miami Beach Police, CBP, SAO and other agencies is a prime example of the power of collaboration in bringing justice and closure to the victims and their families,' Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said in a satement. 'It is through these united efforts that we can hold those who commit such heinous crimes accountable and ensure the safety of our community.'
