A Hungarian illegal immigrant is in custody for allegedly strangling to death two elderly men in Florida, with cops saying if he had not been arrested, his killing would have likely continued.
Police in Miami arrested Zsolt Zsolyomi, 25, on Wednesday, February 19, over the deaths of two gay men he had befriended before they were killed in November and January.
Newsweek reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further comment on the suspect’s immigration status Tuesday afternoon.
The Context
Illegal immigrant crime became a focus of the 2024 presidential election, with a promise by now-President Donald Trump that he would tackle the problem more aggressively than his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, on his return to the White House.
While immigrant crime has generally been found to be less common than offenses carried out by American citizens, the stories often highlight the issue of border security and the undocumented population.
What To Know
Zsolyomi’s first alleged victim was found dead in his Miami Beach apartment bathtub on November 21, 2024. Carlos Villaquiran, 66, was strangled to death, according to the Medical Examiner’s report.
Police said the suspect had befriended Villaquiran and his second victim, Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, who died January 21, 2025. The 71-year-old was discovered in the driver’s seat of his car in Miami, with both front seatbelts wrapped around his neck.
Surveillance footage showed the car crashing into a wall before an unknown man got out of the passenger door and fled the scene. Police believe Zsolyomi and Fernandez de Velasco had met just a little earlier that evening at a gas station.
When officers caught up with Zsolyomi in Miami Beach, he confessed to detectives and was taken into custody. He is being held on two counts of murder in the second degree, jail records showed, as well as an immigration detainer.
Zsolyomi arrived in the U.S. in October 2022, police said, and overstayed his visa. He was awaiting deportation, ordered in September 2024, and was wearing an ankle monitor, but had not yet been removed when the crimes occurred.
What People Are Saying
Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones told reporters: “There’s no doubt in my mind, had he had not been caught, he would have done this again, and again, and again.”
Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales, in a press release: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the unwavering dedication and tireless efforts of all the detectives involved in this case, from multiple agencies, who worked seamlessly together to locate and apprehend a suspect responsible for such despicable acts against our most vulnerable citizens.”
What’s Next
Police said they believed the suspect was targeting elderly gay men in the Miami area and asked that anyone else who may have been a victim of the Hungarian, or could offer information on his case, to come forward. Zsolyomi is next due in court on March 12.
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