Delio Alberto Trasobares was a business owner who, for three decades, built his company into a successful engineering and general contracting firm in South Florida. Born in April 1965, the 61-year-old Hispanic man was the president and founder of Metro Express Inc. He started the company in November 1996 after a long partnership in a family-owned business, first establishing it in Hialeah before relocating to the town of Medley.
His work contributed to infrastructure and employment throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
The morning of October 14, 2026, began like any other workday, but it would be his last. Shortly before 7:30 a.m., Delio arrived at his company's repair shop, located at 9390 NW 109th St. in Medley, a suburb of Miami. There, he found an 81-year-old employee, Jose Antonio Lopez, sleeping on the premises. According to police reports, Delio had previously prohibited Lopez from sleeping at the property. When he discovered Lopez had once again stayed overnight, he instructed him to leave.
According to witness statements given to police, Lopez did not argue. Instead, he got out of his chair, walked about three feet to a shelf, and picked up a .40-caliber handgun. He then turned toward his employer, shouted expletives at him in Spanish, and fired a single shot, striking Delio in the chest. Delio tried to walk away but collapsed at the entrance to the repair shop. While another employee frantically called 911, Lopez allegedly walked outside, smoked a cigarette, and then began riding a tricycle around the parking lot.
When officers from the Medley Police Department arrived, they found a surreal scene: Lopez was still riding the tricycle. As an officer approached him, Lopez reportedly made a spontaneous confession, saying, "I did it." After he was arrested, he told the officers the gun could be found inside, "next to the microwave." Inside the business, police found Delio on the ground with the gunshot wound to his chest. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue airlifted him to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, but his life could not be saved, and he was pronounced dead.
Following his arrest, Lopez complained of chest pains and was taken to a hospital for high blood pressure. He was discharged the next day, on October 15, and taken to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Homicide Bureau for questioning. During the interview with detectives, he admitted to the shooting. He reportedly told them he was "fed up" and "had enough" of his employer insulting him and complaining.
Jose Antonio Lopez was charged with second-degree murder. During his first court appearance, which he attended remotely from his hospital bed, a Miami-Dade judge denied him bond. He was subsequently booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The case is now in the litigation phase as of late October 2026. Delio's family held a visitation on October 19, 2026, at Graceland Funeral Home in Miami. The tragic end to his life stands in stark contrast to the legacy he built over decades as a local business leader.
