Dec 2, 2008 1:10 pm US/Eastern
Search Continues For Gunmen Who Killed Guard
Armored Truck Co. Offering $20 Thousand Reward
KENDALL, Florida (CBS4) ―
-
-
An employee of Dunbar Armored Cars died hours after being shot at Dadeland Mall in Kendall, Florida on Monday December 1, 2008.
CBS
The search continues for two gunmen who shot and killed an armored truck guard at Dadeland Mall Monday morning. Now, 24-hours after the cold-blooded crime,
CBS4 News spoke to the victim's daughter.
According to Miami-Dade police spokesman Det. Alvaro Zabaleta, the two gunmen shot Dunbar armored truck guard Carlos Alvarado, 51, as he went to make a stop inside the Express clothing store at the mall located on North Kendall Drive between US 1 and the 826 Palmetto Expressway.
The Dunbar Armored Company is offering a $20 thousand reward for information leading to an arrest of the men responsible for Alvarado's death.
Alvarado is described as a good and decent man who emmigrated many years ago from his homeland of Peru. His grief-stricken family says he worked two jobs in order to put his daughter and son through Florida International University.
CBS4's Gary Nelson spoke to Alvarado's daughter by telephone Tuesday morning.
"We're just trying to survive now without him. He was a hard-working man and he will be missed," said Karla Alvarado. Then she cried, "We don't know why this happened to us. It was really sudden."
Karla wants the men who did this to her dad to be caught.
"We ask the community to give us a chance to find the robbers so they don't do this again and don't take someone else's father. We need everybody's prayers to survive this situation," said the victim's daughter.
Miami Dade police said the robbery was planned out. The two men followed the guard into the mall and ambushed him inside the store. Investigators suspect the robbers cased the place in advance and knew when the armored car would make its pick-up.
After shooting Alvarado the gunmen ran into and through Dadeland Mall to make their escape. Witnesses say they saw the men running through the mall carrying a bag of cash.
Witnesses said they heard the situation and either hid or fled from the area.
"I heard about 10 gunshots and a bunch of screaming and so we hid behind the counter and I told the salesperson to lock the door and call 911," said Jennie Block.
"I heard and I saw people running, screaming saying code, and I don't remember what the code was. Somebody said someone is shooting. I heard about ten to 12 gunshots and I just ran," said Maria Nicholas.
Shopper Monica Mirones described her experience, "I was standing near the food court, and I looked and saw some chaos and there were about five police officers running with their guns drawn."
Police originally said the men made their getaway in a white Lincoln Continental but that has been rescinded. Miami-Dade homicide detectives say the white Lincoln Continental had nothing to do with this crime.
Alvarado, who had worked with Dunbar since 1999, was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition. He died several hours later.
The robbery and murder was pulled off even as the mall was being covered by a squad of "Grinchbusters," anti-holiday crime police deployed by the Miami-Dade Police Department.
As for how the crime could be committed and the bad guys make a clean getaway Zabaleta said, "It's a matter of being in the right place at the right time." He said the robbery/murder came down and the culprits made their getaway so fast that they were gone even before police who were on the property could respond.
The crime and subsequent escape was most certainly captured by security cameras inside the mall and other stores. Police have not released the security video.
Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at
305-471-8477 and remember, there's a $20,000 reward being offered for information which leads to an arrest.
The family is also desperately in need of financial assistance for funeral arrangements. If you can help, please call
Neighbors 4 Neighbors at
305-597-4404.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Burned Teen's Family Staying Positive
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
I-Team: Tracking The Florida Stimulus Money Trail 
Stumble It!
