Man beats girlfriend, drags her onto I-95 where she is hit and killed, cops say

The boyfriend of a woman who was found dead in the grass along I-95 near Ives Dairy Road dragged her into the path of oncoming traffic, where she was struck and killed by a car, authorities laid out in his arrest warrant.

Lorent Pion, 29, who was already under house arrest for a previous domestic violence case involving the 22-year-old woman, is now facing a second-degree murder charge, among other charges.

Nahomi Valentina Cittadini was found naked and unresponsive on the side of the highway near the Ives Dairy Road on-ramp around 6 a.m. on Dec. 7. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced her dead at the scene. The Miami-Dade medical examiner later determined she had died from blunt force injuries after being struck by a car.

READ MORE: ‘A very tragic loss’: Body of woman found near I-95 in Miami-Dade County identified

FDOT dispatcher witnessed incident

According to an FDOT dispatcher monitoring the highway cameras, Cittadini and Pion were seen fighting near a black SUV before Pion began beating her. “One individual was on the ground fending off the attacker who was standing over her, throwing punches,” the dispatcher told investigators, according to Pion’s arrest warrant issued on Dec. 18.

As Cittadini tried to crawl to safety, authorities say Pion dragged her back onto the highway, directly into traffic. A passing sedan struck her, sending her onto the shoulder. Pion then dragged her body into a grassy area near the highway, the warrant says.

The car that struck Cittadini stopped a few hundred yards from where she was hit, according to investigators. The warrant did not indicate who the driver was nor the type of vehicle they were driving, other than it was a four-door sedan, possibly silver or tan.

Surveillance footage shows Miami-Dade Fire Rescue stopping near Pion’s vehicle shortly after the attack. However, what happened next remains unclear due to glare from their emergency lights. Moments later, Pion drove away from the scene, followed by the motorist who struck Cittadini, investigators wrote in Pion’s arrest warrant.

Fire Rescue left without treating anyone.

At approximately 7 a.m., an FDOT dispatcher reviewing traffic footage noticed something alarming. “Out of curiosity, we turned the cameras back to the area and saw bloodstains on the road where she had been hit,” the dispatcher said. A blood trail led toward the grassy area where Pion had dragged her. Then, they saw what responders had missed — Cittadini’s body, face down and unclothed.

READ MORE: Dead woman found on I-95 near Ives Dairy Road in Miami-Dade, police say

The dispatchers notified Florida Highway Patrol, which returned to the scene. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade police also returned.

Crash in Miramar

Police later tracked Pion using his court-ordered ankle monitor, which placed him at an apartment complex in Miramar. When officers arrived, he fled in his black BMW, leading them on a chase across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the warrant says. The pursuit ended when he crashed into multiple vehicles at the intersection of Red Road and Miramar Parkway. Pion then tried escape on foot but was caught.

Police found bloodstains in the BMW, including the hood, side-step bar and rear wheel. Police found additional blood inside the car after getting a search warrant.

Records show that Pion was arrested in August and charged with assaulting Cittadini in Miami Beach. A no-contact order was issued at the time, barring him from being near her. However, a witness told police that on the night of her death, Cittadini had been seen leaving a strip club with Pion.

Pion was taken to Memorial West Hospital for evaluation following the crash. While there, police say he invoked his right to remain silent. However, he reportedly made a voluntary statement to medical staff while being recorded on an officer’s body camera. The warrant did not indicate what he had said.

On Monday, Dec. 9, the medical examiner ruled Cittadini’s death a homicide. He now faces the murder charge and a slew of other charges and remains in custody.

Jail records show Pion is at the Broward Main Jail but is expected to be extradited to Miami-Dade County.

This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 12:45 PM.