PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have taken into custody a third and final suspect in the string of violent robberies and carjackings that targeted female shoppers in and near Plantation Publix supermarkets.
As originally suspected, this subject turned out to be a juvenile. The 15-year-old boy, Alex Abraham, is related to 18-year-old co-defendant Erica Abraham, the first of the trio arrested, earlier this week.
Police believe the suspects are responsible for five robberies at Publix supermarkets in Broward over a three-day period, one in Dania Beach and the rest in Plantation. Investigators said, in most of the incidents, the trio attacked and robbed the women as they were leaving the grocery stores.
In one of the robberies, surveillance video captured a black Nissan that, police said, the suspects were riding in as they followed a 73-year-old woman into El Dorado Estates, her gated community in Plantation, Jan. 18. Investigators said the Nissan then rear-ended the victim’s car.
The victim’s husband, Al Reidel, said one of the suspects beat his wife after she got out of her car to survey the damage. “He punched her in the face the first time and then punched her again, so her nose is all blown up, you know,” he said. “She fell down, and the guy got in [her] car and sped off.”
Investigators said the female subject got back into the Nissan, and both robbers then fled the scene with the victim’s purse. The victim’s car was later recovered.
As it turns out, the siblings have a crime connection involving their uncle, Nevia Abraham. In a highly publicized case that made national news back in 2003, authorities said, Nevia kidnapped a mail carrier and led police on a three-hour-long chase across Miami-Dade County, all while holding a knife to the postal worker.
Nevia, an ex-convict at the time, eventually let the mail carrier go and surrendered to police. He was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison.
The siblings’ father, Eric Abraham Sr., was separately convicted of carjacking.
Alex Abraham appeared in court on Friday represented by Jim Lewis, the same attorney who represented his uncle in his case.
Alex was charged with armed robbery. He will be held for 21 days while prosecutors consider whether or not to charge him as an adult.
Lewis told 7News the evidence against his client is insufficient. “I’ve seen some claim that there’s some video that might identify some of the attackers,” he said. “It does appear that there have been at least some identifications made by photo lineup, but to my knowledge, I don’t think we see anything really strong.”
Erica was charged with carjacking, robbery and aggravated battery on a person over the age of 65. Police had also arrested a 16-year-old girl whom they did not identify.
Investigators are attempting to verify whether the suspects were also responsible for similar carjackings in Aventura. In one of these incidents, police said, one woman was followed from a Publix, bumped from behind and attacked.
Speaking with 7News on the phone, that victim told 7News she was attacked while leaving a Publix in Aventura, Monday. “[The robber] yelled in my ear, ‘Give me your ring, and I have a gun, and I will shoot you!'” she said.
However, the victim believes her attackers may have been older than the Plantation trio.
The Aventura Police Department has put out a community alert advising residents to be aware of their surroundings. Authorities said, if you are targeted by robbers, return to your car, lock the doors and roll the windows before calling 911.
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