Woman retrieving newspaper makes awful discovery

An early riser who went outside to fetch her newspaper Saturday morning found herself in the middle of a news story when she discovered a dead man on the ground near her Miami Gardens home.

Pedestrian Akeem Jamal Cromer, 34, was killed by a hit-and-run driver who fled the area near the intersection of Northwest 159th Street and 37th Place, police said.

The crash probably occurred around 3:30 a.m. when neighbors heard a loud noise. Cromer was found before dawn about 5:30 a.m., police said.

“This lady was headed out to pick up her paper, saw the body and called police,” Miami Gardens Officer Carlos Austin said.

Police are searching for a dark-colored Dodge Challenger that likely has extensive front end damage, Austin said.

“Detectives will be handing out fliers Wednesday as they investigate this fatal hit-and-run accident,” Austin said.

Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Hamlet Diaz at 305-474-1602 or call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477) or visit www.CrimeStoppers305.com and select “Submit a Tip,” or go to www.facebook.com/crimestoppers305 and select “Contact Us.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2018 at 10:47 PM.