Transportation · Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County's final transit budget raises one-way bus and Metrorail fares by 50 cents to $2.75 starting January 2027, while eliminating six bus lines and 34 late-night trips. The fare increase saved over $20 million in service that a July proposal would have cut from 12 routes, with restored service on corridors including 42nd Avenue, Biscayne Park, Florida City, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, and West Miami. County commissioners also directed the mayor's office to explore adding fares to the currently free Metromover. Transit advocates warn that Amendment 3, which could reduce property tax revenue by $53.3 million annually for transit by 2029, and an ongoing sheriff's budget dispute threaten further cuts.
Crime · Doral, FL
Doral Police arrested Nunez-Martinez on Sunday, Oct. 11, after he allegedly kidnapped and robbed a victim at gunpoint during a Facebook Marketplace iPhone transaction arranged for Oct. 9 outside the victim's apartment building. The victim was forced into a white BMW sedan occupied by two men, driven toward Northwest 87th Avenue and Northwest 58th Street, and threatened with death before escaping by breaking free from a satchel strap caught around his neck. Nunez-Martinez faces charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, grand theft, and tampering with a witness or victim; a judge found probable cause and set no bond. The second suspect has not been identified or arrested.
Crime · Miami-Dade County
Marcia Newark, 70, was arrested Friday and faces charges including animal cruelty and managing property for animal fighting after an Oct. 3 FBI raid on a 10-acre property in the 12300 block of Southwest 51st Street uncovered several thousand roosters and cockfighting training rings. Two others, Sergio Ruiz-Osorio, 54, and Carlos Rafael Lezcanowas, 52, were previously arrested on related charges. During follow-up searches on Oct. 5, authorities found malnourished ponies and goats in poor condition; Animal Services ultimately euthanized 3,110 roosters. Newark, the property owner who reportedly subleases to multiple tenants, has bonded out.
Crime · Palmetto Bay, FL
Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies arrested an armed man found on a rooftop at 8750 SW 142 Street in Palmetto Bay around 2 a.m. Monday, after responding to reports of a shooting. No injuries were reported in the incident.
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Public Safety · Miami-Dade County
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office is searching for Lydia Bermudez, 79, who was last seen near the 5000 block of Southwest 93rd Court at approximately 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22. Bermudez stands 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds; her clothing at the time of disappearance is unknown. Authorities say she meets the criteria for a missing endangered adult and has not contacted family or friends. Anyone with information is urged to contact Deputy M. Eloi at 305-715-3300 or Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
Public Safety · Miami Lakes, FL
Florida Highway Patrol troopers pursued a silver BMW that fled a speeding traffic stop on the southbound Palmetto Expressway (SR 826) near Northwest 47th Avenue just before 4:15 a.m. Monday in Miami Lakes. The driver failed to negotiate the curve at the NW 154th Street exit, veered off the highway into an embankment, and overturned; a marked FHP cruiser also drove down the embankment and collided with the BMW. Three occupants of the BMW were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The southbound NW 154th Street on-ramp from Miami Lakes Drive remained closed for hours while the off-ramp reopened shortly after. Charges against the driver are pending.
Public Safety · Miami-Dade County
A 63-year-old man was hospitalized after being struck by a boat propeller while swimming in Norris Cut, just outside Fisher Island Marina, on Sunday morning. He was one of three adults aboard a 17.5-foot vessel when the incident occurred. The man was airlifted to a hospital and his condition remains unknown. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the accident.
Social Events · Miami Beach, FL
The City of Miami Beach launches its 2026-27 Culture Crawl season on Thursday, Oct. 15, offering free admission to select exhibits, screenings, and performances from 6-9 p.m. across South Beach and North Beach venues, with complimentary trolley transportation between participating locations. Events include hourly tours at The Wolfsonian–FIU, an Art Deco presentation at the Miami Design Preservation League's Art Deco Museum, a Lincoln Road Art Walk featuring multiple galleries, a South Florida Symphony Orchestra performance at the Bass Museum of Art, and a New World Symphony WALLCAST® projection at SoundScape Park. In North Beach, Normandy Fountain hosts "Strings and Sunset" from 6-7:30 p.m., and the Miami Beach Bandshell features Les Greene & The Swayzees. Culture Crawl runs on the third Thursday of every month; details and trolley maps are available at miamibeachfl.gov/culturecrawl.
