LTC 559-2017 The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Assocaiation (MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC# 559-2017 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members o the City Co mission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: November 17, 2017
SUBJECT: The Federal Law Enforcement icers Association (FLEOA) Foundation
Police Officer of the Year Award — Detective Luis Estopinan
This Letter to the Mayor and City Commission is to announce the selection of Miami
Beach Police Detective Luis Estopinan for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers
Association's Police Officer of the Year Award. Detective Estopinan was recognized for
his extraordinary perseverance and dedication in pursuing a "cold case" homicide over
the course of seven years resulting in the arrest of the subject for First Degree Murder,
Armed Sexual Battery, Armed Robbery and Kidnapping.
This brutal crime occurred twenty-seven years ago on September 21, 1990. Two adult
females were in their apartment at 2357 Pine Tree Drive when a male armed with a
handgun forced his way into their apartment. One of the females was shot and killed
and the second one was sexually assaulted and robbed. The subject fled and despite
the efforts of detectives at the time, the case remained open with no leads and became a
"cold case". In January 2010, Detective Estopinan was assigned the cold case and
began re-examining volumes of investigative notes, statements, and evidence. The
pivotal moment of the renewed investigation was Detective Estopinan's suspicion that a
cloth towel mentioned by the victim may contain DNA evidence. Detective Estopinan
located the cloth towel and submitted it to the Miami -Dade crime lab for state of the art
analysis and entry in to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). In February 2012,
the subject, Dale Ainsley Leo Ewers was positively identified by DNA and a photographic
array shown to the surviving victim.
Detective Estopinan began searching for the subject and was able to trace him by his
arrest records. He discovered that he was deported by the State of Massachusetts after
a burglary conviction and was in Jamaica. A joint effort by the State Attorney Katherine
Fernandez Rundle, Governor Rick Scott, and the Jamaican government resulted in a
Provisional Arrest Warrant being issued. The U.S. Marshals escorted the subject back
to Miami Beach where he was formally charged and taken to Miami -Dade Corrections.
Detective Estopinan's relentless pursuit of justice for the victims of this horrific crime is a
testament to his work ethic and commitment to the law enforcement profession.
D70
JLM:DJO:tr