A recent arrest has brought partial closure to an unresolved case of homicide and armed robbery at a North Miami Beach smoke shop last year, following the fatal shooting of shop owner Salem Albakri. According to law enforcement authorities and surveillance footage, Tarvan Bowens Jr., now 18, was taken into custody and is suspected of being the gunman responsible for the death of Albakri during a group robbery at Miami Cloudz on June 11, 2024. Local 10 revealed that Bowens, who was 17 at the time of the incident, allegedly shot Albakri in the back as the victim attempted to flee.
Additionally, 24-year-old William Robinson, another suspect in the case, remains incarcerated without bond on an armed robbery charge, with a history of previous arrests, including one alongside Bowens in December 2023. The suspect's identification came through a combination of technological means and physical evidence, as investigators used facial recognition software and lifted fingerprints from a glass counter at the crime scene to establish a match with Robinson, acknowledging a key aspect wherein, while perusing merchandise, Robinson's left hand had come into contact with the surface, as detailed by Hoodline.
The break in the case arrived through insights from surveillance footage which showed four males engaging with Albakri immediately prior to the shooting—one of them in a red hoodie, who was observed drawing a firearm and subsequently shooting the owner as he tried to escape, this account was initially reported by NBC Miami and later cited by Hoodline. The arrest of Robinson came as a result of this footage and the aforementioned forensic evidence. His extradition to Miami-Dade County ensued, where he is now being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with no bond.
The investigation began when someone close to Albakri checked the store’s surveillance footage after he didn’t respond to calls. They saw a disturbing scene and quickly alerted police. Two suspects, Bowens and Robinson, are now in custody, while authorities continue searching for two others connected to the robbery and murder of Albakri. Police have not yet released details about the remaining suspects.
