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Arrest made in deadly Miami trolley stabbing in Edgewater

Man charged in deadly stabbing aboard Miami trolley
Man charged in deadly stabbing aboard Miami trolley 01:57

MIAMI - A 46-year-old man has been arrested for Tuesday's deadly stabbing on a Miami trolley, police said.

Lamont Collins has been charged with second degree murder.

The stabbing happened shortly before 3 p.m. near Biscayne Boulevard and NE 29 Street.

According to the Miami Police Department, surveillance video from the trolley showed Collins standing in the front before the exit doors as Adolf Bruce, 49, walked toward him, also wanting to get off. When Collins noticed Bruce, police say, he charged him, telling Bruce to back off.

The two men then got into an argument and Collins pulled out a knife, according to the arrest report. On the video, the driver can be seen stopping the trolley in the middle of the road and then approaching them to de-escalate the situation.

At one point Collins reportedly screamed, "I'm not a coward, I'd rather die than go to jail."

As the two men continued to argue, Bruce said "Let's go, let's go" as he got closer to Collins, according to the video.

"Both put their hands on each other and the defendant pulled out the knife again and began stabbing the victim," according to the arrest report.

As Bruce backed away to the rear of the trolley, with his hands up for protection, Collins advanced on him, stabbing him multiple times, police said. When Bruce fell into the walkway, "the defendant stood over him and stabbed him several more times in the neck area," according to the report.

Collins then noticed that the exit doors were open and ran off, only to be taken into custody a short time later.

Bruce was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he died.

"This was not a case of self-defense or him trying to defend himself. He stabbed him numerous times and he knew what he was going for and he stabbed him in the neck. It is crazy over anger that this happened," said Miami Police spokesman Mike Vega.

"Always think that you do not know what the other person is capable of or doing. We have been trying to determine what was in the mind of the suspect," Vega added.

Eyewitness accounts to the Miami trolley stabbing

A witness shot a cellphone video of a man identified as Collins running from the scene moments after the attack holding a knife in his hand, according to police.

In the video, another person can be seen standing outside the trolley's door, appearing to call for help for the critically injured man inside. 

Ricardo Sanchez, who works in the area, described seeing the immediate aftermath.

"I pretty much saw the guy dead on the floor. I don't know if he was dead, but he was already on the floor," Sanchez said. "At first, I'm thinking, 'Oh, he got hit,' because I saw a scooter too, right? But then I see all the blood."

Brian, another witness who lives in the area, said, "I was walking by near where the crosswalk is and I seen that there was a book bag and a lot of clothes on the floor. Then, upon further inspection, there was lots of blood on the ground."  

As to what led Collins to allegedly attack Bruce, police said are still trying to determining that.

"The aggressor was at the door of the trolley and claimed the victim was too close to him," Vega said. 

Collins address was listed as the Camillus House, a s a nonprofit organization that provides housing to homeless people, and the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust said he had been registered as being homeless.   

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