Ronald Poppo, victim of Fla. 'face-eating' man Rudy Eugene, is a 65-year-old homeless man, police say

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

Ronald Poppo, victim of 'Face-chewing' naked man Rudy Eugene, is a 65-year-old homeless man

Rudy Eugene (.l) and victim Ronald Poppo (.r)

/ CBS/Miami-Dade Police Dept.

(CBS/AP) MIAMI - Police in Florida have named 65-year-old Ronald Poppo as the homeless victim whose face was chewed and destroyed by Rudy Eugene along a busy Miami highway ramp.

Pictures: Fla. police identify "face-eating" naked man

Miami police said little Tuesday about the attack, which took place Saturday afternoon in the shadow of The Miami Herald headquarters. Surveillance video from the newspaper's security camera showed cars, motorcycles, pedestrians and bicyclists passing by.

"He had his face eaten down to his goatee. The forehead was just bone. No nose, no mouth," said Sgt. Armando Aguilar, president of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police. "In my opinion, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Sgt. Javier Ortiz, vice president of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, said it was one of the bloodiest "and goriest scenes I've ever been to."

It's not clear what led Eugene, 31, to attack Poppo. CBS Miami reports that Eugene may have been under the influence of an LSD-like drug called "bath salts," according to Aguilar.

Witness Larry Vega was riding his bicycle off the causeway, which connects downtown Miami with Miami Beach, when he saw the attack.

"The guy was, like, tearing him to pieces with his mouth, so I told him, 'Get off!'" Vega told Miami television station WSVN. "The guy just kept eating the other guy away, like, ripping his skin."

Vega flagged down the Miami police officer, who can be seen exiting his car on the Herald video. Vega said the officer repeatedly ordered the attacker to get off. Eugene just picked his head up and growled at the officer before continuing to maul his victim, Vega said. The officer shot Eugene, but he just kept chewing, Vega said. The officer fired again, killing Eugene.

Detective William Moreno would not release details about the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation. The Miami-Dade County medical examiner declined to provide any information until after the autopsy, which was scheduled for Tuesday. Police have not released details from the autopsy and it could be weeks before the results of toxicology tests are available.

Officials say Poppo, who lived under the causeway, is still in critical condition.

Complete coverage of Rudy Eugene on Crimesider

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Fla. police identify "face-eating" naked man

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by -tirzah- June 13, 2012 9:12 AM EDT: Is there anyone who mourns the death of a son, brother or an only child perhaps, shot down naked in the streets? What about Rudy's family, how devastating that must be to them to see someone they love killed like that. My sorrow is for his obvious "lostness". My sorrow is for his family members who loved him in spite of his errors in judgement. My sorrow is also for the victim who endured this tragedy as one person after another passed by, who must have heard the blood curdling screams coming from him and never stopped to offer assistance. What could anyone have done? I don't know, but no even stopping is quite striking to me. My sorrow is for all on both sides of this horrendous tragedy.; Reply to this comment

by markram21 May 31, 2012 9:09 AM EDT

psh, drugs? No, he was a zombie.

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by angelcakesz May 31, 2012 7:47 PM EDT: Definately a zombie.. They just arent telling us until half the world is gone... Stock up now!

by SayShaft May 31, 2012 1:25 AM EDT

The lamestreamedia aren't interested in black on white crimes (it's way too common). They only get a chubby when a white guy (or a Hispanic guy with a black grandfather but a white sounding name if ones not available)is suspected of victimizing a poor minority.

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by alinrodneyvil May 31, 2012 10:20 AM EDT: Racist.


by boocbsboooooooooo June 2, 2012 1:53 PM EDT: Black Americans are the most racist people on this planet.


by SayShaft May 31, 2012 1:12 AM EDT: Funny how "Liberals" whose mentality and the reason miscreants like this even roam our streets, are upset when the obvious connection is mentioned! They don't like being brought back to the scene of their crimes (pretend you don't understand).; Reply to this comment


by obwon2008 May 31, 2012 1:10 AM EDT: Just heard about a new drug that makes black people think that white people are really BIG MACS!; Reply to this comment


by obwon2008 May 31, 2012 1:02 AM EDT: WHERE IS AL SHARPTON and JESSIE JACKSON? Where is the "new" Black Panther Party and the marchers? What right to the police have to diss a black brother for simply eating the face off a homeless white man? Where are the photos of the face eater when he was 12 years old to make him look more innocent? Maybe the white man provoked him and deserved it or maybe he was defending himself against an attacker but unfortunately did not have a gun to ward off this drug crazed monster. SEE HOW SILLY THIS SOUNDS? Does it really matter if the nude face eater was black or white? NO! Does it matter that the victim was homeless or lived in a home? NO! He probably was a victim of robosigning and foreclosure before this horrific attack happened to him and was forced to live on the streets since could afford the staggering high rentals. Life is such a joy!; Reply to this comment


by UForgotPoland May 30, 2012 9:33 PM EDT: Another model African American citizen.; Reply to this comment

by boocbsboooooooooo May 30, 2012 3:47 PM EDT

If it is Bath Salts that did this, anyone who gets caught consuming these should be sentenced to death. Of course we'll have a legion of Liberals defending the rights of the face eaters. What a f'ing country this is..

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by starving1968-3 May 30, 2012 3:58 PM EDT: Typical stupid comment, from your typically stupid conservative.


by boocbsboooooooooo May 30, 2012 4:42 PM EDT: Why don't you just take a bath salt and give me that excuse..


by mysticpizza May 30, 2012 4:57 PM EDT: Only a mindless idiot would include liberals in a story like this, which has no relevance.


by starving1968-3 May 30, 2012 3:25 PM EDT: Leave it to a total moron like Joe, to make something like this about Obama.; Reply to this comment