MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – An arrest has been made in the case of a New York City rabbi who was murdered in North Miami Beach back in 2014.
According to Miami-Dade Police, 15-year-old Deandre Edwin Charles was arrested at around 6 a.m., Wednesday morning, after a 16-month long investigation.
Sources said the teen, who was 14 at the time of the crime, went on a robbery spree throughout Northeast Miami-Dade and North Miami Beach when he ran into Rabbi Yosef Raksin.
Raksin was walking to Synagogue, on that Aug. 9, Saturday morning, not carrying any money. Observing jews are forbidden to carry money on the Sabbath.
Charles, who is accused of shooting Raksin to death got away empty handed.
7News was on scene Wednesday, as the teen was put into the back of a cop car in handcuffs. Charles was indicted by a grand jury, which means he will be tried as an adult. He is charged with First degree murder.
“We’ve heard about the case previously, of course if they did this, they’ve been investigating this prior,” said Charles’ stepfather, Willis Archibald. “So they did investigate him. They spoke to him a few times prior, last year, and they made it seem like everything was over, everything was fine and now this.”
Raksin’s murder left his family and the South Florida Jewish community on edge. The rabbi’s funeral in Brooklyn was attended by hundreds.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office never gave up on the case, and now, as his family celebrates Hanukkah, a Jewish festival recalling miracles, they have their own miracle. Closure.
In an interview with Raksin’s daughter, Shuli Lebkowsky back in July, she said, “It could happen to anyone, and no one wants to live in this unknown place and feel like they could do whatever they want, take lives and just walk out free.”
Homicide detectives are currently going through the subject’s house, in Northwest Miami-Dade.
A news conference has been scheduled with the Rabbi’s family and the Miami-Dade State Attorney, Katherine Fernandez at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday.
