Arrest Made In Vicious Hammer Attack Robbery
MIAMI (CBS4) – The community of Little Havana is breathing a sigh of relief Wednesday after Miami Police made an arrest for the vicious sledgehammer attack on a local store owner.
Fifty-year-old Rodobaldo Sanchez has been charged with attempted murder, armed robbery with assault, armed robbery with a weapon and armed false imprisonment for the attack on Yui Kui Cen, 44.
Sanchez appeared in bond court Thursday with a smile on his face, telling the judge he is broke and homeless since March. Sanchez was also wearing a green jacket normally worn by defendants on suicide watch.
"I'm thrilled; I'm glad he's off the streets," said Abel Hernandez of the Pan-American Cafeteria.
Police picked up Sanchez on Wednesday after fingerprints left on objects in the store which the robber touched came back as match to him. Police said they found a bicycle and two packs of Marlboro cigarettes on the scene that might have been stolen from the store.
The violent robbery, which happened Sunday afternoon at Alex's Mini Market at 501 N.W. 12th Avenue, was captured by two security cameras.
On the video, police said Sanchez can be seen entering the store and pretending that he wants to buy two gallons of milk. At the counter, he suddenly pulls out a hand lotion type bottle and sprays a chemical into the eyes of store owner, 44-year-old Yue Kui Cen.
As Cen rubs his eyes in disbelief, the suspect goes around the counter and strikes him six times on the head with a small sledge hammer.
He is then seen fleeing with only two cartons of Marlboro cigarettes.
Even police were stunned by the severity of the attack.
"In my 15 years of experience, I don't believe I've ever seen such a brutal act of violence towards a person, especially for two cartons of cigarettes," said Miami Police Sgt. Freddie Cruz.
Sanchez reportedly has a tattoo of a swastika on his right arm and a tattoo of "CIA" on his left arm.
"He did make some comments towards some ethnic groups," Sgt. Cruz said. "So it is possible he did have some issues with some ethnic groups."
Police said that Sanchez has lived in Key West and the Northeast, but since March has been living on the streets of Miami.
Chief Manuel Orosa of the Miami Police Department said he is relived Sanchez is off the streets.
"I am very happy and very grateful that this guy is behind bars," Orosa said.
Police are looking for answers as to why Sanchez committed the crime.
"We have no idea why he did this," Orosa said. "All I know is that he is a brutal beast that pounded upon this poor gentleman. Who knows what was in his brain at the time when he decided to do this."
Residents in the area said they were relieved by the arrest.
"Some of the customers here say they've seen him out here before, but I've never seen him before," Hernandez said.
Investigators told CBS4 they found cigarettes and two bottle of lotion filled with chemicals in Sanchez's backpack. They also said they have Sanchez's fingerprints and more from inside the convenience store where he left Cen for dead.
Cen is in critical condition in a coma and on life support at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Even if he does recover, doctors fear he may face permanent brain damage, CBS4's Peter D'Oench reported.
