Latest news with #Zsolyomi
Miami Herald
12-03-2025
- Miami Herald
Hungarian who overstayed visa, charged with Miami, Miami Beach murders, pleads not guilty
The Hungarian man charged last month with murders in Miami and Miami Beach after overstaying his visa waiver pleaded not guilty to the charges during a brief court hearing Wednesday morning. Zsolt Zsolyomi, 26, wasn't present as his attorney Arthur McNeil made the plea before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Ramiro Areces. A tentative trial date has been set for May 12. Zsolyomi is charged with killing two older men two months apart and trying to cover up the murders. He was taken into custody on Feb. 19 after a seven-month odyssey that included charges of robbing a woman of $50 and a brief visit to the Krome Detention Center after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement discovered he'd overstayed a visa waiver by more than two years. Carlos Alonso Villaquiran, 66, was discovered face down in six inches of bathtub water in his Miami Beach apartment in November. And Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, 71, was found dead in his vehicle with the driver's side seat belt fastened tightly around his neck after his car careened into a fence in Miami in January. Police believe Zsolyomi tried to cover up both murders, which were staged to appear as accidents. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner determined both deaths were caused by strangulation. During a press conference after Zsolyomi's arrest, Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales and Miami Beach Chief Wayne Jones stopped just short of calling Zsolyomi a serial killer. They said they had little doubt he would have killed again and were concerned there may be other victims. Feds had man who overstayed visa, but let him go ICE records indicate Zsolyomi entered South Florida from Hungary in October 2022 on a 90-day visa waiver, but failed to leave as it expired at the end of the year. He wasn't on anyone's radar until April 2024 when the Broward Sheriff's Office charged him with petit theft and he gave the fictitious name Thomas Kray. In July of last year, police say, Zsolyomi committed another offense, this time robbing a woman on a Miami Beach trolley of $50. The woman and others on the trolley gave chase and pinned Zsolyomi just outside a Lincoln Road store, then called over a police officer. ICE records show the agency finally took custody of Zsolyomi on Sept. 6, 2024. He was taken to Krome, fitted with an ankle monitor and released through the Alternatives Detention Program. Two weeks later Homeland Security's Intensive Supervision Appearance Program alerted ICE that Zsolyomi's monitor had been tampered with. He had somehow managed to disable the monitor. ICE said Zsolyomi was notified and told to report, but 'he absconded.' On Sept. 25, Zsolyomi's case was referred to ICE's Fugitive Operations Unit. He remained a ghost for another two months, until he was identified after the November murder of Villaquiran in Miami Beach. He was also identified running from Villaquiran's stolen vehicle after a crash the evening the Miami Beach man was killed. Still, police and ICE couldn't find Zsolyomi until a month after the January murder of Fernandez de Velasco in Little Havana, which police say was staged to look like a car wreck, but was actually a strangulation. Zsolyomi has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and grand theft auto. His case is expected to go before a grand jury which could up the charge to first-degree murder, a charge that could come with a death sentence.
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.
CBS News
21-02-2025
- CBS News
Hungarian man accused in Miami-Dade double murders was targeting LGBTQ+ community, police say
The Hungarian man who police said was responsible for two brutal murders in Miami-Dade County is now believed to have been targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community. City of Miami Police Chief Manny Morales and Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones revealed to reporters on Friday more details on how they managed to track down 25-year-old Zsolt Zsolyomi, saying how they believed he had been targeting elderly gay men. "This individual who was out there, preying on members of our community, would have gotten away with these crimes if it wasn't for the diligent work of our investigators and the partnership with these agencies," Morales said. Zsolyomi is facing two counts of second-degree murder from the cases dating back to November and January, in which police said he had befriended both men before strangling them to death. Zsolyomi is currently being held without bond and he has been placed on an immigration hold because authorities said he overstayed his visa. Carlos Villaquiran, the first victim, was a 66-year-old man who was discovered dead in the bathtub of his Miami Beach apartment on Nov. 21, where the medical examiner determined that he died of "homicidal violence to include strangulation." Two months later, 71-year-old Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco was found dead in his car with both front seatbelts wrapped around his neck after a crash in Little Havana. Jones said if it wasn't for the multi-agency collaboration, Zsolyomi wouldn't have been found and arrested. "Thank goodness we did because there's no doubt in my mind that if he had not been caught, he would have done this again, and again, and again," he said. Authorities are asking anyone who may been victimized by Zsolyomi or who has information related to similar cases to contact Miami Police's Homicide Unit at (305) 603-6350. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (4877) or submit their tips on
CBS News
20-02-2025
- CBS News
Hungarian national accused of murdering 2 men in Miami Beach and Little Havana, arrest warrant says
MIAMI — A Hungarian national is facing murder charges after two separate death investigations in Miami-Dade County found him to be the person responsible, an arrest warrant said. Zsolt Zsolyomi, 25, was arrested Wednesday night on the charge of second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in death investigations coming out of Miami Beach and the Miami neighborhood of Little Havana. Zsolyomi, a reported Hungarian national, is currently being held without bond. The Miami Beach murder The case that put Zsolyomi behind bars began as a homicide investigation in Miami Beach back in November. Just after 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, Miami Beach Police were told of a dead man found inside an apartment on 1010 Pennsylvania Ave. Once officers arrived, they met with the man's family and identified the victim as 66-year-old Carlos Alonso Villaquiran. According to the warrant, Villaquiran's family became concerned about his well-being when he didn't show up to work that morning. They repeatedly tried to contact his phone to no avail before heading to his apartment to check on him. The family then knocked on his front door but still got no response, so they borrowed a spare key from the property manager and entered the apartment. Once inside, the family quickly found Villaquiran in the bathroom, "unresponsive and not breathing," the warrant said. The family then called 911, prompting police and Miami Beach Fire Rescue to respond. Despite paramedics' arrival, Villaquiran died at the scene. Per Miami Beach Police procedures, homicide detectives were assigned to investigate. When detectives arrived, they found Villaquiran "face down in the bathtub with his head and upper body partially submerged in approximately 6.5 inches of water," the warrant said. The warrant also noted that Villaquiran was an amputee of his right leg below the knee. It did not specify how he partially lost his leg and the initial examination of his body did not reveal any exterior trauma. The initial investigation revealed that a Nest camera mounted on the second floor near the building's stairs captured a man — later identified as Zsolyomi — wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap, entering and exiting Villaquiran's apartment numerous times between 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. the night before his body was found. The final time Zsolyomi is seen exiting the apartment, he's seen locking the door with a key and no other people are seen interacting with the apartment after that moment. Villaquiran's brother told police that he didn't see his brother's car — a 2002 Honda CRV — parked in its usual space and couldn't find it anywhere nearby. Following a search of its license plate, investigators found that Villaquiran's car was last seen driving west on the MacArthur Causeway just after 11:55 p.m., at least 20 minutes after Zsolyomi was last seen at the apartment. It was also revealed that Villaquiran's car and house keys were missing from the apartment, the warrant said. The next day, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Department performed an autopsy on Villaquiran's body, which revealed that he had died of "homicidal violence to include strangulation" after the medical examiner found that he had sustained internal trauma to both sides of his neck, a fractured left rib and a broken hyoid bone — a small bone located in the front of the neck and below the jaw. The revelation led to the suspicious death being ruled as a murder. During a forensics search of Villaquiran's iPhone, detectives found a lengthy text conversation between him and another man named "Thomas," showing clear signs that they had an "intimate relationship" and would frequently meet at Villaquiran's apartment. However, their focus quickly turned to one conversation in particular. Detectives discovered a conversation where the two men agreed to meet on Halloween at Villaquiran's apartment before going out on Lincoln Road. Detectives then reviewed surveillance video from that time, which showed Villaquiran and "Thomas" leaving and returning to the apartment on Halloween. They also found photos of the two together from that night, showing "Thomas" wearing an ankle monitor, the warrant said. As their forensics investigation continued, detectives found that several days after Halloween, the texts between the two men became "contentious" where Villaquiran accused "Thomas" of assaulting him and stealing his property. "[Villaquiran] is seen saying 'I can't believe what you did to me and what you took from me,' and then sending 'Thomas' a picture of a prominent injury to his right eye," the warrant said. The warrant continued, saying that "Thomas" had first denied causing the injury before saying "Sometimes I don't know what I do when I'm drunk" and apologized repeatedly to Villaquiran. Villaquiran is then seen asking "Thomas" repeatedly to return his phone and property before filing a police report. "Thomas" then responds by asking him not to call the police and if he can come over to the apartment to return Villaquiran's items. However, Villaquiran denied "Thomas'" request, saying he was afraid of him and "does not want to see him ever again," the warrant said. Further examination of the texts revealed that Villaquiran had discovered that "Thomas" was just an alias for Zsolyomi, telling him that he knew his real name and that he would be going straight to the police with the new information to report the assault and theft. Upon further review, detectives then learned that Zsolyomi is a Hungarian national who is currently listed as an "illegal overstay" by Customs and Border Protection and was fixed with a GPS ankle monitor after he was released from custody following a Miami Beach arrest in July 2024. The warrant said that Zsolyomi told police his name was "Thomas Kray" at the time of this arrest. After cross-referencing his phone number with the number "Thomas" was using, detectives further confirmed that they were the same man. During the investigation, detectives also learned that Villaquiran's Honda was involved in a hit-and-run on the night of his murder at the intersection of SW 13th St. 22nd Ave. in Miami, where witnesses claimed they saw a man who resembled Zsolyomi exiting the car and running away from the crash. Detectives then went to the tow yard where Villaquiran's car was stored and brought it to Miami Beach Police's forensics lab, where they processed fingerprints that matched Zsolyomi's. The Little Havana death On Jan. 20, Miami Beach Police detectives were then advised of another case coming out from Miami, where the City of Miami Police were investigating a suspicious death that happened the day before. According to initial reports, a dead man was discovered sitting in the driver seat of a car found near NW 2nd St. 14th Ave. in Little Havana. The man's death was determined to be a murder by the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Department. According to the warrant, surveillance video from a nearby home caught a man, who resembled Zsolyomi, getting out of the car's passenger side, jumping over the vehicle and running away. After processing fingerprints found on the car, investigators were able to determine that it was Zsolyomi. After cross-referencing pictures and fingerprints from both the Miami Beach and Little Havana murders, police obtained a warrant for Zsolyomi's arrest and took him into custody on Wednesday night.
