Homeless Man Charged In Murder Of Marriott Driver

CORAL GABLES, FL — A homeless man is facing a murder charge after police said he ran down a Marriott shuttle bus driver over the weekend who allegedly tried to stop him from stealing the vehicle with three passengers aboard. The driver died from his injuries. Edward Reid then allegedly took off on a wild chase through nearby streets, striking two vehicles along the way, according to Miami-Dade police.

Detective Lee Cowart of the Miami-Dade Police Department told Patch that Reid let his three passengers off the hotel shuttle at some point.

Cowart identified the slain Marriott driver as 62-year-old Eladio Rodriguez Cristobal, who had gone inside the hotel for a moment when Reid allegedly boarded the shuttle and attempted to drive away from the Courtyard By Marriott Miami Coral Gables. The hotel is located at 2051 S Le Jeune Road not far from Miami International Airport.

"Our victim loaded the bus. There were three customers on board at the time. He was loading their luggage," Cowart told Patch. "He goes back in the lobby, probably to make an announcement that they are heading over to the airport."

The 40-year-old Reid was riding a bicycle through the hotel parking lot when he apparently spotted the shuttle as it was getting ready to leave.

"He dumps the bicycle, jumps on the truck, throws the truck into drive and tries to flee the Courtyard By Marriott," Cowart said. "In the process of fleeing, our victim runs out and somehow positions himself in order to stop the carjacking, and our subject strikes him with the shuttle bus."

Cowart said that the passengers were still on the shuttle bus at the time.

"Then the shuttle bus attempts to leave the premises and the three people in some fashion convince our subject to release them and let them go, which he did," Cowart explained.

Reid allegedly struck two more vehicles before being chased down by a driver of one of the vehicles somewhere across the Miami border, Cowart added.

Miami police finally caught up with the shuttle bus and took Reid into custody.

In addition to murder, Reid is charged with three counts of kidnapping, carjacking and leaving the scene of an accident, Cowart said.

Photo courtesy Miami-Dade Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation