Kendric Elyjah Smith, 23, Arrested

HOLLYWOOD, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2023) — Hollywood Police arrested 23-year-old Kendric Elyjah Smith for the shooting death of a man last month.

On November 21st, 2023, at approximately 09:30 pm, Hollywood Police Officers responded to the area of South 56th Avenue and Rodman Street in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located the gunshot victim. The victim was pronounced deceased by Hollywood Fire Rescue.

Detectives quickly identified the offender, Kendric Elyjah Smith, and a warrant for First Degree Murder was issued for his arrest.

On Wednesday, December 13th, 2023, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and US Marshals took Kendric Smith into custody in Orange County, Florida. Kendric Smith is currently incarcerated in Orange County, awaiting extradition to Broward County.

A summary of the crime and investigation as written by the detective:

The victim was lying face up on the east sidewalk on South 56th Avenue adjacent to Rodman Street. His head was pointing north and his feet were pointing south. The victim was wearing a dark blue “Tom & Jerry” sweater that was cut open in the center by Rescue personnel when they were administering an Automated External Defibrillator (A.E.D.) device. There was an A.E.D. pad on the victim’s left pectoral and one on the right side of his torso. The victim wore black jeans, blue shorts under the jeans, and blue and white sneakers. There was apparent blood coming out of the victim’s nostrils. Once the victim’s clothing were removed, I saw about seven apparent gunshot wounds around the victim’s neck, back and buttocks. There were three spent 9mm casings recovered from the crime scene.

Detective J. Gratz responded to the area and obtained surveillance footage from the A1 Food Store (5595 Pembroke Rd) and the Complete Auto Body and Repair Shop at 1210 South 56th Avenue. 

On the A1 Food Store footage at 9:35 p.m. (actual time), the victim can be seen walking northbound crossing Pembroke Road and entering the store. Once inside, the victim looks around, speaks to Tanveer, and speaks to a patron who purchases a beverage and another item for the victim. At 9:40 p.m., the suspect and an unknown heavy-set black female are seen walking northbound crossing Pembroke Road and enter the store. The suspect was a black male in his 20s, a black goatee, wearing a red hoodie sweater with the word “Hustler” in white and a cartoon character underneath the word. The suspect was wearing a red beanie hat with a hood on his head, white pajama pants with an unknown design, and dark green camouflage Crocs-style slippers. The female was wearing a dark blue hoodie sweater, eyeglasses and pink pajama pants with an unknown design on them. The victim was at the back of the store when the suspect came near the victim. They exchange words and then the victim walks towards the front of the store. The victim continues talking as he looks in the suspect’s direction. The suspect walked to the front of the store and both parties continued to talk. The victim exits the store first and then the suspect follows. Once outside, the victim and suspect talk again. At 9:42 p.m., the suspect walks northbound on South 56th Avenue and the victim follows him. The black female goes outside and sees the victim and suspect walk away, but she returns to the store. At 9:43 p.m., the female walks northbound on South 56th Avenue. None of these individuals crossed the path of the food store cameras for the remainder of the evening.

On the Complete Auto Body and Repair Shop footage at 9:49 p.m., the victim and suspect are walking northbound on South 56th Avenue and still seem to be exchanging words. The victim
gets slightly ahead of the suspect. The suspect looks behind him, turns his attention back on the victim and pulls out a handgun. Approximately seven muzzle flashes are seen. The victim falls on the sidewalk. The suspect runs westbound on Rodman Street. The suspect runs towards one of the cameras where his person is illuminated as he passes a light post. The suspect was wearing the same red hoodie sweater, a red beanie hat with a hood on his head, white pajama
pants with an unknown design, and dark green camouflage Crocs-style slippers. It appears the suspect has a black handgun in his right hand. The black female is not seen on any of these cameras. The victim is lying motionless on the sidewalk. Police and Fire Rescue personnel respond.

The distance between the A1 Food Store and Rodman Street is six blocks.

A search of the area for the suspect yielded negative results. Officers located a dark green camouflage Crocs-style slipper at the rear of 5712 Rodman Street. Another dark green camouflage Crocs-style slipper was located in front of 5725 Rodman Street the middle of the road. This was the direction the suspect fled.

On November 22, 2023, an autopsy on the victim was performed by Doctor Iouri Boiko from the Broward Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds. The manner of death was homicide.

The suspect unlawfully, from a premeditated design to effect the death of a human being.

Detectives add that he killed the victim by shooting him multiple times in the back.