Doreen Richards Broadbelt, a 71-year-old woman, was found dead Monday morning in Miami Gardens after what authorities believe was a fatal dog attack. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the official cause of death.
According to Miami Gardens Police, officers responded to the area of Northwest 196th Terrace and 14th Court — near Hard Rock Stadium — around 7:40 a.m. following reports of an unresponsive woman. Upon arrival, officers found Broadbelt lying on the ground next to a trailer, with visible injuries consistent with dog bites. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
Family members said she was walking to her job at Walmart, where she had worked for more than a decade.
A large amount of blood was reportedly seen in a nearby field at Norwood Elementary School. Residents said they heard sounds resembling multiple dogs fighting before emergency crews arrived.
Animal control officials were seen collecting DNA samples from dogs in the surrounding neighborhood shortly after the incident. Police are still working to identify the dog or dogs involved, as well as their owner.
The incident has alarmed residents in Miami Gardens, a majority-Black community where concerns about stray dogs and lack of consistent code enforcement have been longstanding. Many families in the area walk to work or school.
“That poor woman..cannot imagine the terror she went through,” said one community member.
Other community members stated that “dog attacks are [too] common” and “something must be done.”
Broadbelt’s death highlights broader public safety issues in communities that have historically been underserved when it comes to infrastructure, animal control, and other city services.
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