Florida prosecutors seek death penalty in fatal Fort Myers hammer attack
Florida prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty against Rolbert Joachin after the fatal hammer attack on gas station clerk Nilufa Easmin in Fort Myers.
Joachin, 40, was indicted by a Lee County grand jury over the killing of Easmin, 51, who was working at a gas station when she was attacked on 2 April.
Investigators said she confronted him outside the station after he allegedly smashed the windscreen of her car.
Authorities said the confrontation escalated into a violent assault captured on CCTV, with Easmin repeatedly struck in the face and head with a hammer.
Joachin then fled on foot, prompting a citywide manhunt before police tracked him down and arrested him.
State Attorney Amira Fox announced the indictment and said prosecutors would pursue the harshest possible punishment if Joachin is convicted.
She described the case as extremely violent and said the grand jury had reviewed the evidence before returning the indictment.
The case has drawn attention in Lee County because of the severity of the attack and the decision to seek capital punishment.
Prosecutors also said Easmin was a mother who had been working to support her family.
