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Adrián Venereo, a 37-year-old locksmith, had his workday end in tragedy on February 20 in an apartment building in southwest Miami.
The man, described by his wife as a loving father and dedicated worker, was shot in the head while performing a job.
Now, a 32-year-old Cuban identified as Luis David Lemus faces charges of second-degree murder.
The victim went to the property located at 6355 Southwest 8th Street after being called to change a lock.
According to the arrest report cited by several local media outlets, the accused and a witness—allegedly his father—had been outside the apartment and requested help from a locksmith.
According to the investigation, while Venereo was at the door, Lemus allegedly pulled out a weapon and shot him in the head, then fled the scene.
When the police arrived on the seventh floor of the building, they found the worker lying in the hallway with a gunshot wound to the head. Paramedics confirmed his death minutes later.
The autopsy determined that he died from the impact of the gunshot, and the case was classified as homicide.
Hours later, the suspect was located near 7th Street and 52nd Avenue in southwest Miami.
He was arrested and taken to the county jail. He remains in custody without bail and has already appeared before a Miami-Dade court for his initial hearing. Prosecutors indicated that he confessed to the crime.
Surveillance images show Lemus, wearing a white t-shirt, walking down a hallway alongside Venereo, who was carrying his toolbox. Seconds later, the crime would occur.
In the video, the suspect's father can also be heard shouting with blood on his arms and hands: “Why did you do that?”
"It was everything for us."
Beyond the police details, the loss has left the victim's family devastated. Nicole Galvis, Venereo's wife, recounted to Telemundo 51 how she learned about what happened.
“My husband was called. He is a locksmith and was called to change the locks in an apartment building. And while he was changing the locks, he was simply shot in the head,” she expressed.
The woman said that she began to worry when she lost contact with him.
"I knew something had happened because he always calls me, and I hadn't heard from him in about two hours. I checked his location and saw there was no movement, and he wasn't answering my calls. I felt that something was wrong, so I went to the place, saw the crime scene and all the police, and that's when the detectives told me what had happened," he recounted, visibly shaken
The impact on the family has been profound.
"I am devastated, heartbroken, devastated. My children are destroyed, the entire family, their brothers, their sister, their mom, their dad. Everyone is very affected, their friends. It is very heartbreaking for us," she stated.
The explanation of the reason remains unclear. “They don’t know why he did it. He was just working and the man simply shot him in the head. That’s all I know,” he stated.
Their children received a news that was impossible to comprehend. “We told the kids that daddy passed away, that someone very bad took his life while he was working,” she recounted through tears.
When describing her husband, she did not hesitate: "He was very happy all the time, very sociable, very loving. He was an incredible person. A great husband, a great father. He meant everything to us."
His request is straightforward: “Please, let justice be done for him. Because this is not right, this is very unfair. He was just helping.”
And she reiterated: "Please, let there be justice for my husband."
Luis David Lemus faces a second-degree murder charge involving a firearm.
During his virtual appearance before the court, he was seen lying on a bed and covering himself with a blanket, without answering questions. He remains in custody awaiting further hearings.
As the legal proceedings progress, Adrián Venereo's family is trying to rebuild themselves after an abrupt and violent loss.
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