An 80-year-old man has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder following the death of his roommate at the Princess Gardens Assisted Living Facility in Miami's Flagami neighborhood, as confirmed by Miami police. Senior citizen Jerome Babij reportedly strangled his roommate yesterday morning, an altercation that ended tragically when the victim, whose name has not been released, was later pronounced dead at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
According to Local 10 News, the incident took place around 8:15 a.m., attracting attention when witnesses at the assisted living facility heard noise coming from the room. Upon entering, they allegedly found Babij with his hands around the throat of the victim who was sitting on the ground. "He’s trying to kill me!" the victim is said to have shouted when witnesses arrived, per the report obtained by Local 10 News.
Prior to the attack, there were no known conflicts or issues reported between Babij and the victim during their six months as roommates. Eyewitnesses told authorities that, along with the strangulation, Babij kicked the victim in the head and leg when being dragged away and attempted to assault them with a fire extinguisher. The nursing staff ultimately subdued Babij, holding him down until law enforcement officials took over. He was later taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Emergency Room for treatment of minor injuries to his hand.
In a separate account by WSVN, there is no clear motive for the attack. After the intervention by the care facility's staff, Babij was restrained and arrested, subsequently facing a charge of second-degree murder. Details about the bond for the accused are not available at this moment, as they were listed as "to be set" online jail records.
The case is now being processed through the legal system, with Babij currently held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
