An undocumented immigrant accused of killing two gay, disabled men in Florida might be the first person killed under new legislation. Zsolt Zsolyomi, 25, a Hungarian national, is accused of the second-degree murder of two elderly men in Miami.
The Florida Legislature passed the new law on January 28. The immigration plan includes a provision that automatically imposes the death penalty for “unauthorized aliens” guilty of a capital felony, notwithstanding longstanding US tradition and international law against mandatory death sentences. Legislators acknowledged that the bill could face legal challenges as a result of the mandatory sentencing provisions, but at least one senator voiced confidence that the bill would pass scrutiny.
What is the new law?
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Gov. Ron DeSantis convened a brief special legislative session during which he introduced the new plan, leaving little opportunity for public review. State senators stated that they received the complete text of the legislation just ten minutes before the discussion began.
The Florida House and Senate approved the bill, but DeSantis has publicly stated that he will veto it due to “weak” clauses unrelated to the mandatory death penalty provision.
However, it is unclear whether the new bill will be adopted and implemented following the dispute.
Will Zsolyomi be the first to face the death penalty under the new law?
Only a few weeks before Zsolyomi’s arrest, the law passed. Now he could be the first unauthorized immigrant to face the death penalty under the statute.
Devoun Cetoute, a cops reporter for the “Miami Herald,” spoke with FOX 35’s Garrett Wymer on Florida Live about both the case and the new statute.
According to records, Zsolyomi entered the United States on a 90-day visa in October 2022. However, he overstayed his visa and then proceeded on an alleged criminal spree that included petty theft and two capital murders. When officials discovered that Zsolyomi had overstayed his visa, they issued him an ankle monitor.
According to police, there was a five-month interval after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ordered Zsolyomi’s deportation, during which “some questionable decisions” resulted in him not being deported.
The purpose of the ankle monitor, according to officials, was to keep Zsolyomi under ICE’s notice until a deportation process began. However, it appears that this did not occur. Zsolyomi remained elusive to ICE until they apprehended him for two murders.
Cetoute stated that ICE has been “pretty much radio silent” regarding the specifics of this case.
“When Miami Beach police figured out that they had a murder on their hands in November, it only took a few weeks for them to track down Zsolyomi, and once the second murder was committed, they were almost instantly able to connect him to that murder, as well,” Cetoute said. “So, for police it was a quick process to identify and track this man, but for ICE, for some reason, it took a lot longer than that.”
Cetoute said he had seen some frustration in the local community over the case.
“When these murders were told to us, police were saying everything up until that this man was a serial killer,” Cetoute said. “The way that they described it to the media and the public was that this man had a practice and a way of killing these men that depicted that there are other people that could be at risk or were at risk from him. … From that sense, you have the community thinking that ‘Uh oh, do we have something very serious here?’ At the same time, they’re learning that this man should have never been on the streets in the first place. It really boils the anger a little bit.”
What led to the arrest of Zsolt Zsolyomi?
Zsolyomi is first suspected of a murder that occurred on November 21, 2024, when a man was discovered dead in his Miami Beach condominium after family members attempted to contact him several times, according to an arrest warrant.
Officials said they found the man motionless in the bathtub, with his head and upper torso partially buried in water. The medical examiner later determined that the man died by strangling.
Investigators discovered that Carlos Alonso Villaquiran, 66, had an intimate relationship with Zsolyomi, who went by the false name “Thomas.”
According to reports, cops discovered text messages, photos of the two together, and doorbell camera footage showing the couple entering and exiting the flat.
According to officers, text chats revealed that Villaquiran accused Zsolyomi of abusing and stealing from him, as well as sending a photo of his wounded eye.
Zsolyomi initially denied hitting Villaquiran but then told police, “Sometimes I don’t know what I do when I’m drunk.” She apologized multiple times.
Villaquiran had threatened to report Zsolyomi to the authorities if he did not return his stolen stuff, and he stated that he knew Zsolyomi’s genuine name, date of birth, and jail number.
Police said security cameras captured Zsolyomi entering and exiting the residence the night before Villaquiran’s body was discovered.
According to the arrest request, the second individual was discovered dead on January 19 near Northwest 14th Avenue and Second Street in Miami’s Little Havana district.
The man was discovered in the driver’s seat of an automobile, wearing both front seatbelts around his neck.
The man had suffered trauma and died as a result of homicide, according to investigators.
Police eventually identified the individual as Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, 71.
Miami Police Chief Manny Morales stated that they discovered the occurrence was not an accident and that some individual was in the car and strangled Velasco before fabricating the automobile wreck to conceal the crime.
Surveillance cameras in the neighborhood captured the crash into a fence, as well as a man getting out of the car and fleeing, according to an arrest warrant.
Detectives eventually determined that fingerprints found in the car belonged to Zsolyomi.
Reports show On Wednesday, February 19, Zsolyomi was in custody.
Who is Zsolt Zsolyomi?
What we know: According to official reports, US Customs and Border Protection currently classifies Zsolyomi, a Hungarian, as an illegal overstayer.
Police say he wore an ankle monitor after being released from detention following a robbery arrest in Miami Beach in July 2024.
Zsolyomi told police he was “Thomas Kray” at the time, according to the robbery arrest warrant.
‘Had he not been caught, he would’ve done this again and again and again’
What they’re saying: “Our detectives conducted a comprehensive investigation in partnership with the City of Miami Police Department, resulting in the successful apprehension of Zsolt Zsolyomi,” Miami Beach police Chief Wayne Jones said in a press release shared on social media. “We remain committed to pursuing justice for the victim and his family.”
“This fella is a really bad guy,” Jones said in the press conference. “He is the epitome of evil. He hunts his prey. He’s patient with his prey, and then he kills them. There’s no doubt in my mind, had he not been caught, he would’ve done this again and again and again.”
What you can do: Authorities are requesting anyone who may have been victimized by Zsolyomi or has information about similar crimes to call the Miami Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (305) 603-6350.