Current:Home > reviewsMiami police begin pulling cars submerged from a Doral lake. Here's what they found so far. -Legacy Profit Partners
Miami police begin pulling cars submerged from a Doral lake. Here's what they found so far.
View
Date:2025-04-18 12:18:34
The Miami-Dade Police Department is recovering multiple cars found submerged in a lake in Doral, Florida.
Divers working for a private company to investigate a missing person cold case said they found 32 cars while exploring a lake nestled in an industrial park west of Miami. They notified the police, which began pulling the vehicles from the lake Tuesday morning.
Here is what they found on the first day of vehicle recovery.
First car found in the lake confirmed stolen
- Miami-Dade police representative Alvaro Zabaleta told WFLA that the first car pulled from the lake was confirmed to be stolen. MDPD spokesperson Luis Sierra later confirmed with USA TOSDAY that the car is a Acura Legend, which was last made in 1995 according Cars.com.
- Police divers estimated 20 cars on Tuesday morning, according to Zabaleta. The final number is not yet confirmed due to low visibility.
- Police also pulled a Ford Econoline 3500 and a Cadillac Sedan DeVille, and anticipated extracting two more by the end of Tuesday.
- Zabaleta said that they expect all cars to be of an older make and model as they were likely dumped before the surrounding commercial area, including a Walmart Supercenter, a car dealership and several popular chain restaurants, was built.
Cars in Doral, Florida lake32 vehicles found in lake by divers working missing person cold cases
Police won't rule out possibility of new evidence in cold cases
Zabaleta said the the MDPD team investigating homicide cold cases hasn't been led to this lake before, but they would not rule it out as a possibility.
Based on the first vehicle that was pulled, he expected that they were stolen and discarded after a joy ride. But they will continue to examine the recovered cars for evidence linked to outstanding cases.
"We're not gonna discard the possibility of some type fraud that also can occur and some other type of foul play like a homicide," Zabaleta said, noting that the detectives investigating deaths were on the scene.
Volunteer divers found cars while working missing person cold case
Divers Ken Fleming and Doug Bishop with United Search Corps work on a volunteer basis to investigate missing persons cold cases, they told 7News Miami. The organization works on cases that could have started up to 40 years ago.
They were investigating a case where someone drove from Pinellas County to the Miami International Airport to pick up a relative and never returned.
They targeted this lake because it is nearby the airport with easy access, which could lend itself to foul play.
When they found 32 cars, the divers suspected it was a dumping ground for ongoing criminal activity.
“When we discover a spot like this with multiple vehicles, it pretty much indicates that a crime where they’re disposing the vehicles and hiding them from law enforcement,” Fleming told 7News.
veryGood! (942)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- There are 4.8 billion reasons why other leagues are watching the fallout from ‘Sunday Ticket’ case
- Summer doldrums have set in, with heat advisories issued across parts of the US South
- France’s exceptionally high-stakes election has begun. The far right leads polls
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Travis Kelce Joined by Julia Roberts at Taylor Swift's Third Dublin Eras Tour Show
- Michael J. Fox plays guitar with Coldplay at Glastonbury: 'Our hero forever'
- Houston LGBT+ Pride Festival and Parade 2024: Route, date, time and where to watch events
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Noah Lyles wins 200 at Olympic trials, qualifies for sprint double
Ranking
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Kin, community demand accountability for fatal NY police shooting of 13-year-old boy
- Are there microplastics in your penis? It's possible, new study reveals.
- Ex-No.1 pick JaMarcus Russell accused of stealing donation for high school, fired as coach
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Should gun store sales get special credit card tracking? States split on mandating or prohibiting it
- Masai Russell, Alaysha Johnson silence doubters in emotional interviews
- Enjoy the beach this summer, but beware the sting of the jellyfish
Recommendation
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
2 police officers wounded, suspect killed in shooting in Waterloo, Iowa
Martin Mull, beloved actor known for Fernwood 2 Night, Roseanne and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, dies at 80
Dakota Johnson Joins Chris Martin's Kids Apple and Moses at Coldplay's Glastonbury Set
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
SWAT member who lost lower leg after being run over by fire truck at Nuggets parade stages comeback
NBA free agency tracker: LeBron opting out of contract but expected to return to Lakers
2024 BET Awards: See All the Celebrity Fashion on the Red Carpet