Aug 6, 2008 8:31 am US/Eastern
Reward Increased To $275K To Catch Agent's Killer
Police Have Released A Sketch Of The Killer
Surveillance Cameras May Have Captured Killer As He Sped Away
PEMBROKE PINES (CBS4) ―
As hundreds of law enforcement officers prepare to search for the killer of a federal agent for the second day, the reward for information leading to his capture has been increased to $275-thousand.
Donald Pettit, 52, an agent with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency was shot in the parking lot of a U.S. Post Office facility in Pembroke Pines Tuesday morning around 9 a.m. Police said Pettit and his killer had gotten into an argument, but did not say what it concerned. Witnesses said the suspect pulled his car up right behind Pettit's car as the two pulled in the post office's parking lot. The man got out of his car, words were exchanged and then he pulled a gun and shot Pettit once in the head while the off duty agent's daughter who was in the car watched.
"Which makes it more of a heinous thing, it is sickening to us. The child was in the car and observed everything that happened," said Pembroke Pines Deputy Police Chief Mike Segarra.
After the shooting the man then sped away. Police say Pettit was unarmed; his gun was found in his car.
Nadine Rigg heard the shot and called 911.
"It was a loud boom," said Rigg, "I was freaking out. I was talking to 911 and I realized I had just witnessed somebody get shot."
Pettit, who Pembroke Pines police said was involved in a multi-agency drug task force, died about 3 hours after being rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital.
Immediately after the shooting, police and federal agents from various agencies saturated the area searching for Pettit's killer. They searched by air using a Blackhawk helicopter and went door to door in the surrounding neighborhoods talking to anyone who may have seen or heard anything. By mid-morning, the search had widened to include all of South Florida, from Miami-Dade County up into Broward and Palm Beach Counties. By evening, the search had extended statewide.
Pembroke Pines police set up a command center about a block from the post office and continued their efforts throughout the night to find Pettit's killer.
"We are here until this thing ends, I'm telling you one way or the other we're doing this until it's finished," vowed Segarra.
Late Tuesday afternoon, police distributed a sketch of the killer and released a surveillance tape from a nearby Walmart which they believe shows the killer's car, which has been described as a dark green or gray late model Chrysler 3000. The tape shows a car matching the description of the one used by the suspect traveling past the store at a high rate of speed at about the time the killer would have been fleeing the area.
"I want this guy to know we are going to find him, there's no where to hide" said Segarra.
Police said at new conference late Tuesday evening that they had received many leads and have other video they are examining for possible clues as to the identity of the killer.
Pettit's killer has been described as a white male between 50 to 60 years of age, 6' to 6'1" with a medium build. He has white bushy hair and saggy cheeks. When last seen, he was wearing a green plaid shirt.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at at
954-493-TIPS, Pembroke Pines police,
954-431-2200, or online:
www.browardcrimestoppers.org.
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