Tragedy struck Homestead when 78-year-old Francisco Javier Leon De Armas, a man with dementia, was found dead days after being reported missing. He was discovered in the back seat of a decommissioned city-owned vehicle in a junkyard. His son, Francisco Leon De Armas Jr., expressed concerns about the city's negligence, as per WSVN report.
De Armas Jr. had worked with the Homestead Police to search for his father, issuing a missing person's report and distributing flyers. "We kept looking for days. We printed out pictures, the whole family. We started driving from Florida City, Homestead, Leicester City. I called the Homestead Police. I made a report of a missing old timer," he told WSVN.
The Homestead Police had previously issued a public plea for assistance, describing De Armas and urging anyone with information to come forward, as Hoodline reported.
After finding his father, De Armas Jr. noticed a chain and lock were only added to secure the lot after the incident. The city of Homestead released a statement expressing sadness and pledging a thorough investigation.
The Miami-Dade Homicide unit is now handling the investigation. De Armas Jr. described his father as a hardworking man who came to the U.S. from Cuba in the '80s seeking a better life.
