Joseph Surace, 28, was shot and killed on August 11, 2020, near a Burger King and 7-Eleven on North Federal Highway in Pompano Beach. Surace, who was homeless at the time, was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead after an altercation.

Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives used video surveillance and witness statements to identify a man known to Surace as a suspect. Investigators say the verbal dispute escalated and that 35-year-old Ruddy Germain shot Surace. Germain was located during surveillance in Pompano Beach and arrested on August 20, 2020; he was charged with second-degree murder and held without bond at the Broward County jail.

The case drew attention to violence affecting homeless people and the circumstances that led to Surace’s death. If anyone has information about the shooting or knew Joseph Surace, please come forward.