Man accused of beating to death transgender woman in Miami Beach – NBC 6 South Florida

Miami Beach Police arrested a man after the body of a transgender woman was discovered Tuesday morning.

According to police, Gregory Fitzgerald Gilbert, 53, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder.

The discovery was made in the area of 22nd Street and Liberty Avenue, near the Miami City Ballet after an employee “observed what he believed to be a person sleeping outside… near the main entrance,” read Gilbert’s arrest report.

Once police and fire rescue arrived on the scene they pronounced the victim deceased.

Trauma and blood were observed on the victim’s face and head, according to the report.

Detectives obtained video surveillance which showed the victim arriving to the scene around midnight.

According to the police report, some hours later, a black man approached the victim as she was lying down. In the video, he can be seen grabbing some type of metal pipe from the ground and hitting the victim in the head and face several times.

“The male is then seen standing over her, striking her and then manipulating her body… then walks away and places the pipe inside a nearby trashcan,” read the report.

Police were able to locate the suspect and transport him to MBPD.

According to the report, the victim had changed her name and sex from Heitor Dorias Dos Passos to Andrea Dorias Dos Passos in 2023.

Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed the body on the ground outside the building, with several investigators at the scene.

The Miami City Ballet & Museum closed for the rest of the day Tuesday due to the incident.

“I used to go to ballet classes right here when I was a child. I just feel like it’s getting increasingly more scary to be a woman,” resident Daniela Tabbara said.

Miami Beach Police said, “this remains an open investigation and as the judicial process unfolds, we are committed to collaborating closely with the State Attorney’s Office.”

Check back with NBC6 for updates.