MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A Miami-Dade County inmate has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials from Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation confirmed Friday.
Authorities did not immediately confirm which facility the inmate is located at, but said the housing unit is being cleaned and inmates are quarantined.
#MDCR has been notified that an inmate has tested positive for COVID-19. The affected housing unit is being thoroughly cleaned, inmates are quarantined and staff who had been in contact are being sent for testing.
— MiamiDadeCorrections (@MDCCorrections) April 9, 2020
The news comes after Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle told Local 10 News that inmates accused of violent crimes will not be among those considered to be released amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“While there are some cases -- non-violent offenders -- that we can agree could be released into the community, we want to make sure that not everybody is just let out of jail as some people would like us to do,” she said. “For instance, in our jail right now, we have upwards of 2,000 very serious offenders charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape.”
We spoke with @KathyFndzRundle about defense attorney motions arguing for their client’s release amid the #COVID19 #pandemic - how prosecutors are responding - and how the courts are balancing constitutional rights + public (and crime victim) safety. @MiamiDadeCourts pic.twitter.com/iqz0QbhH9F
— Christina Vazquez (@CBoomerVazquez) April 10, 2020
The state attorney noted one case involving a man who is accused of raping his step-daughter from when she was 6 to 12 years old.
Another violent Miami-Dade County case involves a man who is accused of trying to set his ex-girlfriend on fire in front of their 1-year-old daughter in January.
In that case, Olivier Patchouco, 33, is accused of pouring gasoline over the victim’s head and repeatedly trying to set her on fire, although he was luckily unsuccessful.
He is charged with numerous crimes, including attempted murder, child abuse and improper exhibition of a weapon, among others.
He remains behind bars at the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center.
According to MDCR spokesman Juan Diasgranados, as of Thursday, there were 3,336 inmates in the department’s custody.
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