Current:Home > reviewsMiami police begin pulling cars submerged from a Doral lake. Here's what they found so far. -FundPrime
Miami police begin pulling cars submerged from a Doral lake. Here's what they found so far.
View
Date:2025-04-12 23:50:24
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! (93)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets won't play vs. Vancouver Saturday
- Uvalde mom pushes through 'nightmare' so others won't know loss of a child in 'Print It Black'
- Man sentenced to 25 years for teaching bomb-making to person targeting authorities
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- The Uvalde school shooting thrust them into the national spotlight. Where are they now?
- Krispy Kreme offers discounted doughnuts in honor of Memorial Day: How to get the deal
- Southwest Airlines flights will appear in Google Flights results
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Sean “Diddy” Combs Accused of Sexual Assault by 6th Woman in New York Lawsuit
Ranking
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Defense secretary tells US Naval Academy graduates they will lead ‘through tension and uncertainty’
- New Jersey earthquake: Small 2.9 magnitude quake shakes area Friday morning
- How Beyonce’s Mom Tina Knowles Supported Kelly Rowland After Viral Cannes Incident
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Video shows Nissan SUV catch on fire in family's driveway; carmaker is investigating
- 11-year-old graduates California junior college, has one piece of advice: 'Never give up'
- NCAA, leagues sign off on nearly $3 billion plan to set stage for dramatic change across college sports
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Pronouns and tribal affiliations are now forbidden in South Dakota public university employee emails
Prosecutor tells jury that self-exiled wealthy Chinese businessman cheated thousands of $1 billion
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, The Wi-Fi Is Down
Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
Gov. Ron DeSantis bravely saves Floridians from exposure to nonpatriotic bridges
Taiwan scrambles jets, puts forces on alert as China calls new war games powerful punishment for the island
Governor appoints Jared Hoy as the new leader of Wisconsin’s prison system