Man arrested for murder of transgender woman on Miami Beach, has charge upped, denied bond
The man accused in the beating death earlier this week of a transgender woman just outside a Miami Beach ballet hall was not only denied bond during his first court appearance Thursday, but had the charge against him upped to first-degree murder.
Gregory Fitzgerald Gibert said very little during a brief hearing before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer. The judge appointed a public defender to represent Gibert and set his pre-trial detention hearing date before another judge for Friday, before upping the charge to the most serious crime possible.
“It looks like he defiled the body by doing other things to the victim,” she said.
Glazer said a judge would likely also address a current probation violation against Gibert, who has a lengthy criminal history and convictions for violent and non-violent crimes. Gibert attended Thursday’s hearing, his first court appearance, on video from jail.
Surveillance video near the Miami City Ballet hall at 2200 Liberty Ave. captured Gibert, 53, repeatedly smacking the head of a transgender homeless woman named Andrea Doria Dos Passos, 37, as she slept, according to police. Her body was found early Tuesday morning by a ballet employee.
Dos Passos’ body, partially covered by a sweater, had lacerations on her face and the back of her head. Two wooden sticks were lodged in her nostrils, according to police. One exited just over her right eye. The other appeared lodged in a nose cavity. Police said the victim also suffered a puncture wound in her chest.
Police said Gibert was also seen on video surveillance placing the pipe allegedly used to kill Dos Passos — which was later retrieved by law enforcement — in a trash bin.
Hate crime questions
What remains unclear: The connection, if any, between Dos Passos and Gibert.
And because police have not yet found a connection, Gibert has not been charged with a hate crime, which would automatically enhance any penalty if the accused were convicted.
The alleged murder of the transgender woman caught enough public attention Wednesday for Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones to weigh in. In a carefully prepared statement, the chief said the attack appeared to be random.
“At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that Andrea was targeted because of her sexuality or gender,” Jones said. “However, we understand the concerns within the LGBTQIA+ community. And I want to emphasize that MBPD is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all our community members.”
