More than three decades after a Miami jewelry store owner was found shot to death inside his shop, police have arrested the man who they say is responsible for the killing.
Omar Roy, 72, was arrested Wednesday on a first-degree murder charge in the May 6, 1992 killing of Dionisio Carlos Valladares, an arrest affidavit said.
Valladares was found lying in a pool of blood in the rear workshop area of his Zamora Jewelry Store at 1006 Southwest 1st Street.
He was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
An employee who’d been trying to contact Valladares by phone went to the store and found the victim inside. Witnesses had reported hearing a “bang” from the business, the affidavit said.
Investigators discovered a substantial amount of jewelry had been stolen from a damaged display area in the store, and Roy’s fingerprints were found on a telephone and on a piece of a broken mirror on a shelf of a display counter, the affidavit said.
Days later, on May 15, 1992, Roy was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol for fleeing or attempting to elude police, resisting an officer without violence and obstructing by disguise, the affidavit said.
When authorities searched his vehicle they found a large quantity of gold jewelry hidden in a baby diaper inside a brown bag, and he was also charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property, the affidavit said.
Investigators later learned the jewelry discovered by FHP was stolen during Valladares’ murder, the affidavit said.
In July of 1992, while Roy was behind bars in Detroit in an unrelated case, a Miami Police homicide detective interviewed him, and he claimed an unknown person entered the jewelry store and shot Valladares while Roy hid, the affidavit said.
In August of 2014, the case was reopened, and investigators learned Valladares had been last seen with Roy at the coffee shop next door to the jewelry store.
On May 8, 2025, a new lead detective was assigned to the case and a review of the investigations “yielded several inconsistencies with the previous testimony provided by the defendant,” the affidavit said.
On Wednesday, Roy was taken into custody and interviewed by investigators, and he gave several inconsistent statements and said he lied to investigators in past interviews, the affidavit said.
In court Thursday, an attorney for Roy argued that the affidavit didn’t provide enough evidence that Roy killed Valladares.
“There’s nothing indicating what new information they have since 1992, 33 years ago, which would have changed any of the information they had previously, judge,” the attorney said.
“Somebody identified him together with the victim at the cafeteria next to the jewelry store,” Judge Mindy Glazer replied. “Basically it’s a cold case that the police further investigated and believe Mr. Roy committed this crime.”
“There’s nothing indicating that Mr. Roy shot the alleged victim,” the defense attorney argued.
“I disagree,” Glazer replied. “I’m finding there’s probable cause based on the four corners of this sworn arrest affidavit.”
“There’s nothing indicating Mr. Roy had a gun on him, that he pointed a gun at the alleged victim, that he shot at the alleged victim. At best, it appears he had coffee together with him,” the defense attorney said. “At best it states Mr. Roy admitted to taking some jewelry after the alleged victim was shot by some other person. All the same information they had 33 years ago.”
Glazer mentioned Roy was also arrested in 1993 for manslaughter and was convicted and spent 15 years in prison.
She ordered him held without bond, and he’s expected to appear before a division judge on Friday.
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