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Teen charged for severe Oakland Park beating
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Victim Craig Cohen, 47
(Ft. Lauderdale) An 18-year-old man has been arrested in the fatal beating of a Wilton Manors man; it's the third arrest in the beating death of 47-year-old Craig Cohen.
According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, detectives arrested Chad Alexander Olah and charged him with felony first-degree murder and strong-armed robbery.
Cohen was attacked on April 6th as he walked home from the Peter Pan Diner in Oakland Park shortly after 1:20 a.m. He was almost home when a group of men attacked him, beat him severely and left him bleeding on the sidewalk. He died October 7th after surviving in a hospice facility for months. He never regained consciousness after the beating. His funeral was held Tuesday.
Just five minutes after Cohen's beating and less than two miles away, David Villanova was walking to a convenience store after leaving a local bar when he was attacked and beaten. His attackers kicked his head and fractured his skull. They stole his wallet with his identification and credit cards inside.
"In the weeks following the attacks, there was some speculation as to whether they had been fueled by hate and perpetrated because the victims were both gay men. However, detectives have determined that the sexual preference of the victims didn't factor in when their attackers were planning or committing the crimes," said Commander Rick Wierzbicki of BSO's Hate Crimes Task Force. "Cohen and Villanova were innocent victims, chosen simply because they were alone and defenseless."
On April 27, an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Broward County led investigators to the men who committed the attacks.
Detectives say on the morning of the attacks, 21-year-old Victor Gonzalez and 25-year-old Pargu Leandro had been drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana with friends and talking about how much fun it would be to beat someone up. Intent on committing a violent crime, the group left the house on foot, presumably in search of victims, according to BSO.
BSO is working with the Broward County State Attorney's Office to enhance the attempted murder charges against Gonzalez and Leandro to murder. Both are being held in the Broward County Jail on no bond.
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