Suspect arrested in shooting death of Fla. man days before his NY wedding
A convicted Florida felon has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a soon-to-be groom during a carjacking attempt in North Miami Beach – days before his wedding in New York.
Louis Antuwn Redmon, 23, was arrested Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, armed carjacking and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, WPLG reported.
Redmon is accused of gunning down Hershy Schwartz, 39, a well-known member of the local Orthodox Jewish community in Florida, about a week before his marriage to Rosie Brustowsky.
“It’s comforting to know that the person who did this is not out on the streets anymore,” Brustowsky said, NBC Miami reported.
“That doesn’t bring him back,” she added.
Surveillance video showed the accused killer looking into Schwartz’s vehicle in the parking lot of a Wendy’s at 25 NE 167th St. on Feb. 19, according to an arrest warrant cited by WPLG.
He opened the SUV’s door and began struggling with the victim before backing off and opening fire, according to the warrant.
Redmon later allegedly made calls and sent text messages to his current or former girlfriend and her son, both of whom were behind bars, using Schwartz’s cell phone.
On March 23, according to cops, the woman and her son contacted the suspect – also known as “Bam” – on an Instagram video call in which he told them about seeing a man sleeping in his vehicle before the fatal shooting, WPLG reported.
Redmon, who is from Jacksonville, had been staying at the North Miami Beach Garden Inn & Suites hotel before the shooting.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which arrested the suspect Wednesday, said an “armed carjacking gone wrong” cost Schwartz his life.
Officials said fingerprints and ballistic evidence helped link Redmon to the shooting.
North Miami Beach police Chief Harvette Smith announced the arrest Thursday, saying the suspect “stole Hershy’s life.”
Schwartz was originally from Rockland County in New York, where he was a first responder for the William P. Faist Volunteer Ambulance in Chestnut Ridge, and the Brewer Fire Engine Company No. 1 in Monsey, according to WPLG.
He lived in South Florida for about 12 years.
Schwartz and Brustowsky had a wedding countdown on their phones, NBC Miami said.
“That was supposed to be the most incredible week of my life. And instead, we were mourning,” she said, according to the outlet.
“Looking back, I was counting down to the worst day of my life,” Brustowsky added.
Her fiancé was a pillar of the local Orthodox Jewish community and a leading member of the religious group Chesed Shel Emes, or “Charity of Truth,” which offers help to people in need.
“Hershy was the guy who looked forward to the holidays, was somewhat flamboyant in the sense he would wear different colored shirts to come into the synagogue,” pal Yehuda Kaploun said in February, NBC Miami said reported.
“He just brought a smile to the face,” he said.
After the crime, Schwartz’s brother Yoel pleaded for the public’s help in tracking down the killer.
“Hershy was to me not only a brother, he was my best friend,” he said, the Miami Herald reported. “Please help us find the person who did this and bring justice for Hershy.”
Redmon, who was held without bond, had reportedly been released from prison in September after serving a three-year sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, NBC Miami reported.
Further details about the suspect’s previous conviction were immediately unclear.
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