Law enforcement from Miami Gardens to central Florida is on alert as officers hunt for a homicide suspect they believe may be slipping around the Orlando area. Investigators say 45-year-old Yalanski Dawkins, wanted in a 2025 killing, is considered armed and dangerous, and the public is being urged to help track him down, but not to confront him.
Police and marshals hunting suspect
Homicide detectives with the Miami Gardens Police Department, working alongside agents from the U.S. Marshals Task Force, are searching for Dawkins in connection with a January 5, 2025, homicide. Investigators say Dawkins has spent time in the Orlando area before, prompting an alert to residents there. Anyone who may know where he is is asked to call Miami Gardens homicide detective H. Baez at 305-474-2082, the department’s main line at 305-474-6473, or Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477), according to WESH.
How to report a tip
The Miami Gardens Police Department lists 305-474-6473 as its non-emergency number and directs callers with information about this case to the Homicide Unit. As outlined by the Miami Gardens Police Department, non-emergency calls should go to that line. Crime Stoppers of Miami-Dade also takes anonymous tips at 305-471-TIPS (8477) and through its online tip form.
Why the U.S. Marshals are involved
U.S. Marshals Task Forces often team up with local departments when suspects are believed to be moving between cities or counties, pulling in federal tools and multi-agency coordination to tighten the net. The U.S. Marshals Service focuses its fugitive operations on violent offenders and homicide suspects, which can speed up efforts to locate and arrest them. The U.S. Marshals Service details how these fugitive task forces typically operate.
Authorities have not released additional information about the victim or a possible motive and say the investigation is ongoing. Residents are urged to contact investigators with any tips and to call 911 immediately if they believe they see Dawkins.
