The Miami Beach community is reeling after the tragic and violent death of Elizabeth Caruso, whose body was discovered in a dumpster outside a South Beach apartment complex on Saturday, July 19, 2025. She was 66 years old.
Miami Beach Police have arrested 40-year-old Anthony Caruso, Elizabeth’s son, on charges of second-degree murder in connection to her death. Authorities say Elizabeth had traveled from New Jersey to visit her son at his apartment on 800 Washington Avenue, concerned about his well-being due to his history of mental illness.
Just after 9:20 p.m., officers responded to a welfare check request placed by Elizabeth’s son-in-law, who grew alarmed after she failed to respond for several hours. When police arrived, they found blood smeared on the hallway floor and the front door of the apartment. Blood traces led them to a nearby trash room and down to the building’s dumpster, where Elizabeth’s body was found.
The discovery launched a tense, eight-hour standoff between law enforcement and Anthony Caruso, who had barricaded himself inside his seventh-floor unit. After multiple failed attempts to communicate with him, SWAT officers eventually used a taser and police K9 to subdue and arrest him. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment before being booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
According to the arrest affidavit, Elizabeth Caruso sustained catastrophic injuries, including “near decapitation” and multiple fractures to her face, head, arms, and hands. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office is continuing its examination of her remains as detectives work to finalize the case.
Neighbors and residents expressed shock and horror at the scene, with the building placed on lockdown during the police response. One resident told CBS News Miami, “Apparently, it was a domestic fight… and she was in the dumpster.”
Elizabeth Caruso’s death is being investigated as a brutal case of domestic violence that ended in unthinkable tragedy. She is remembered as a devoted mother who had traveled out of concern and love, only to fall victim to a horrific act. The investigation remains ongoing, and formal charges are pending review by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Miami Beach Police.
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