Man found dead in driveway identified as teacher

CUTLER BAY, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have identified a man found dead and bloody near his car as a local teacher.

Police where on the scene through Thursday afternoon, as they investigates the scene where they found 25-year-old Richard Vasallo dead, at 11 p.m., the night before. He was found lying near a parking lot, a few feet away from his car and around the corner of his parent's house where he lives. Miami-Dade dive team investigators even checked a man-made pond nearby for clues.

Miami-Dade Police responded to a call about a man seen covered in blood, walking on the side of the road. Tammy Dixom saw him, as she was driving nearby. "All over he was bleedy really bad," she said.

By the time Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the area of Southwest 216th Street and 98th Court, inside the Montego Bay community, they found Vasallo deceased.

Family members have been showing up to the scene all night and into the following morning and spoke about their loved one's suspicious death. "It's devastating," said Enrique Arriagoa, the victim's uncle. "It's just a kid so full of life.

"The only thing that is known," Arriagoa continued, "he left the house at around 10:40, last night, claiming he was going to get gasoline for his vehicle, so he wouldn't have to do it in the morning to go to school."

Whether Vasallo ever intended to get gas at all or never made it there remains unknown. "The next thing we know, 2:05 in the morning, the police let us know that he was deceased," Arriagoa said.

Police have not yet said how Vasallo died, even to his family. "Right now it's devastating because we know as much as you know," said Ray Florat, the victim's cousin, speaking to a reporter.

"We don't know anything," Arriagoa said. "He didn't say anything when he left the home."

Vasallo was a Florida International University engineering graduate and an instructional technology teacher at SIATech in Homestead. Now his family, most of whom live in Cutler Bay, are trying to figure out who took him away from what he loved. "Very sad, very sad," said Florat. "Like I said, he was a person who you would never think would be in a situation like this. He was a person about family, school, work. That's all he thought about."

Detectives are still looking for clues as to why Vasallo was even out where he was at around 11 p.m. at night. They are asking anyone who saw anything to notify police. Miami-Dade Police Sergeant Julio Padron said, "If anyone that lives in the area, anyone that happened to be driving by, possibly saw any vehicles still in the area, commotion, anybody yelling, screaming, anything that was out of the ordinary, we would appreciate them calling the homicide bureau."

If you have any information on Vasallo's death, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

(Copyright 2012 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)