Breaking News: Police Speak After Hungarian National Charged in Miami, Miami Beach Murders
Authorities Address Two Separate Homicides
Authorities are speaking at a news conference Friday after a man, Zsolt Zsolyomi, 25, a Hungarian national, was linked to two separate murders in Miami and Miami Beach, including the killing of a man he was in an intimate relationship with.
Charges and Background Information
Zsolyomi is charged with second-degree murder in both cases, according to jail records. Both victims were elderly, disabled men, according to Miami police.
Case 1: Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco
On January 19, a man was found dead in the driver’s seat of a vehicle near Northwest 14th Avenue and Second Street in Little Havana, according to an arrest warrant. The victim, identified as 71-year-old Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, was found with both front seatbelts around his neck. The victim had sustained trauma, and police only concluded his manner of death as a homicide. Surveillance cameras nearby captured the vehicle crashing into a fence and a man jumping out of the vehicle and fleeing the area. Detectives later matched fingerprints from the vehicle to Zsolyomi.
Case 2: 66-Year-Old Victim in Miami Beach
Zsolyomi is also accused of a murder in November when a man was found dead in his Miami Beach apartment after family members repeatedly tried to reach him, the warrant said. The victim, a 66-year-old man, was discovered unresponsive with his head and upper body partially submerged in the bathtub with water, according to the warrant. The medical examiner later ruled he died by strangulation. Detectives discovered Zsolyomi went by the fictitious name "Thomas" and that he and the victim were in an intimate relationship. They found text conversations, pictures of the two together, and doorbell camera footage of the pair entering and leaving the Miami Beach apartment.
Investigation and Evidence
Text conversations also revealed the victim accusing Zsolyomi of beating him and stealing from him, the warrant said. He also sent a photo of his injured eye. Zsolyomi first denied beating him, but then responded with, "Sometimes I don’t know what I do when I’m drunk" and apologized several times. The victim threatened to call the police on Zsolyomi if Zsolyomi didn’t return his stolen property, and even revealed that he knew Zsolyomi’s real name, date of birth, and jail number. Security cameras caught the suspect entering and leaving the apartment the night before the victim’s body was found inside.
Immigration Status and Additional Information
Zsolyomi is a Hungarian national currently listed as an illegal overstay by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He wore an ankle monitor after he was released from custody from a robbery arrest in Miami Beach in July 2024.
Next Steps
Authorities are asking anyone who may have been victimized by Zsolyomi or who has information related to similar cases to contact the Miami Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 305-603-6350.
Conclusion
The investigation into these heinous crimes is ongoing, and authorities are working tirelessly to bring justice to the victims and their families.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the charges against Zsolyomi?
A: Zsolyomi is charged with second-degree murder in both cases.
Q: What are the circumstances surrounding the two murders?
A: The first murder occurred on January 19, and the second murder occurred in November, with both victims being elderly, disabled men.
Q: What is Zsolyomi’s immigration status?
A: Zsolyomi is a Hungarian national currently listed as an illegal overstay by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
