Staff Reporter:
Police arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly beating a Bangladeshi woman to death with a hammer at a gas station in Fort Myers, Florida.
The murder occurred at a gas station on Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard on the morning of Thursday (2 April) local time.
The victim, 48-year-old Nilufar Yasmin, worked as a cashier at the convenience store on the avenue.
Authorities identified the suspect as Rolbart Joacin. According to CCTV footage and witness accounts, the dispute began on 31 March when Joacin failed to withdraw money from an ATM inside the store.
He demanded the cash from Yasmin, who explained that she did not manage the machine. Joacin left the premises but returned early Thursday morning to carry out the attack.
At approximately 7:14 am on 2 April, Joacin smashed the windshield of Yasmin’s personal car with a hammer.
When Yasmin stepped outside to investigate, Joacin reportedly shouted, “Give me my money,” before striking her repeatedly in the head with the tool.
Emergency medical services rushed Yasmin to a local hospital, but doctors pronounced her dead at 7:27 am.
Fort Myers Police apprehended Joacin near the intersection of Mango and Rayleigh Streets shortly after the incident.
During the search, authorities placed three nearby schools—Success Academy, the Young Parent Education Programme, and James Stephens Elementary—under temporary lockdown as a precaution.
Joacin currently remains in the Lee County Jail without bail. Prosecutors have charged him with murder and destruction of property.
Yasmin, originally from the Kushakhali Union in Lakshmipur district, Bangladesh, moved to the United States and joined the store only three months ago. she leaves behind two daughters, aged 16 and 20.
