On Tuesday evening, deputies from the Broward Sheriff's Office and officers with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department turned a quiet Little Haiti block into the scene of a full-on dig, sifting through piles of dirt in the yard of a home near Northeast First Court and 76th Street. Crews methodically worked the property as curious neighbors and drivers slowed to watch, until officers wrapped up and left around 8 p.m.
According to WPLG Local 10, Broward deputies and Fort Lauderdale officers were carrying out a joint criminal investigation and were seen literally digging up and sifting through mounds of dirt on the property. The Broward Sheriff's Office told the station the probe is ongoing and that it could not release additional information.
Recent violence in Little Haiti
The unusual out-of-county presence dropped into a neighborhood that has already been on edge after several recent shootings. In April, a shooting at the Taste of Miami Karnival in Little Haiti left one person dead and two others wounded, according to the Miami Herald. In March, two men were wounded in a separate double shooting that Miami police investigated in the area, WSVN reported.
What officials have said
The Broward Sheriff's Office confirmed to WPLG Local 10 that its deputies and Fort Lauderdale Police officers were working a joint criminal investigation at the Little Haiti property. Beyond that, officials are keeping things close to the vest, citing the active status of the case. Local 10 reported that law enforcement left the scene around 8 p.m., and so far neither BSO nor Fort Lauderdale PD has put out a detailed public statement on what exactly they are looking for.
How to help
Anyone with information that might aid investigators is asked to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. This story will be updated as law enforcement releases more details.
