Miami-Dade felon charged with murder, armed robbery in fatal bus stop beating, deputies say

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 57-year-old felon is facing a second-degree murder charge after investigators say he beat a man to death at a bus stop in southwest Miami-Dade earlier this month.

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The suspect, James Thompson, was arrested by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and later charged in connection with the June 6 attack, according to his arrest report.

The report states that the incident began just after 4:30 p.m. at a market on Homestead Avenue in southwest Miami-Dade, where Thompson and the victim got into an argument over a “monetary debt” stemming from a previous narcotics transaction.

Investigators said the victim, who has not been identified, walked away from the store, but Thompson followed him on foot and continued to harass him.

The report states Thompson, who resides in the county’s West Perrine area, then trailed the victim to a bus stop at Southwest 173rd Street and the South Dade TransitWay, where the confrontation escalated.

At the bus stop, Thompson repeatedly punched the victim in the face, causing him to fall from a bus bench, according to the report. Investigators said the victim became unconscious, and Thompson continued kicking him in the face and upper body.

The report states Thompson then searched through the victim’s backpack while he was unconscious, removed an unidentified item and fled the scene on foot.

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Deputies said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics responded and transported the victim to Jackson South Medical Center. Despite life-saving efforts, they said the victim was pronounced dead at 5:57 p.m.

The report states that an autopsy conducted by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of death a homicide.

Investigators said Thompson was arrested on unrelated charges on June 6 and remains in custody at the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Pre-Trial Detention Center.

He was later transported to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau for questioning on Friday, where he made a confession that was redacted in his publicly released arrest report.

Jail records show Thompson is facing one count of second-degree murder and armed robbery with a weapon. He also faces illegal possession of a firearm as a post-convicted felon, possession of cannabis with intent to sell while illegally armed, resisting an officer without violence to his person and violation of house arrest in an unrelated case, records show.

He remains at the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Pre-Trial Detention Center, where bond was listed as “to be set” as of Friday afternoon.

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