Suspect charged with attempted murder after pushing disabled man into highway traffic

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Suspect charged with attempted murder after pushing disabled man into highway traffic

County News

Friday, 01 March 2013 16:09

Incident leaves victim’s dog with broken leg

By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer
A documented gang member was arrested and charged with attempted murder after Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies said he pushed a handicapped man into oncoming highway traffic on Feb. 23, before robbing the victim.

The incident also left the man’s dog with a broken leg.
“I’m depressed about the situation and the world today because of what happened to me,” said victim Jose Mojica De la Rosa, 31, in a phone interview on Thursday. “The money I lost was to pay to have a roof over my and my little dog’s head.”
Police Wednesday arrested Sonny Leon Abreu, 24, known as a transient to law enforcement, on charges of attempted murder, robbery, abuse of a disabled adult and animal cruelty.
According to Abreu’s arrest warrant, De la Rosa, who has muscular dystrophy and is confined to a motorized wheelchair, withdrew $240 from the ATM machine at the Shell Gas station at the intersection of Siesta Lago Drive and U.S. Highway 192.
De la Rosa saw a couple of friends, David Cruz-Hernandez and Diane Phillips Palmer, at the convenience store and after chatting with them, noticed them speaking with a black man, later identified as Abreu.
The victim told deputies he noticed Abreu watching him withdraw his money from the ATM and decided to get home as quickly as possible, Sheriff’s Office reports said.
De la Rosa left the gas station with his money and began to head home when Abreu caught up with him and allegedly pushed him out of his wheelchair and into oncoming traffic.
Abreu allegedly grabbed the $240 and took off running. A witness began screaming for help and ran after the suspect but was unable to catch him.
De la Rosa was unable to get out of the roadway because of his physical handicap. He told deputies he was afraid he would be struck by a vehicle and killed as traffic sped by within inches of him in the eastbound lanes of the highway.
Several witnesses and motorists stopped to help De la Rosa out of the roadway.
De la Rosa’s Chihuahua, Lola, who was in a screened mesh pet carrier on the motorize wheelchair at the time of the accident, had her leg broken when the wheelchair fell on top of her.
The victim told deputies he was forced to drive his dog to the veterinarian’s office for care in his wheelchair because the robbery had left him without enough money for bus fare.
The victim, who lives alone with Lola at a room in the Maple Leaf Motel on U.S. Highway 192, has been forced to choose between paying for his dog’s cast or taking public transportation, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain said.
De la Rosa said he cannot afford Lola’s medication because the $240 was the last of his monthly $600 disability check and he wouldn’t receive his next check until March 1.
The victim’s friend, Cruz-Hernandez, who was seen on surveillance video speaking with Abreu prior to the robbery, told detectives he knew the suspect when they served together at the Osceola County Jail but did not know his name.
Cruz-Hernandez told deputies Abreu commented about the victim withdrawing a “large” sum of money from the ATM and said he was going to rob him, even soliciting Cruz-Hernandez to participate, reports stated.
As Cruz-Hernandez left the gas station, he yelled toward the victim to warn him but was told by Phillips Palmer not to get involved. He then heard a woman scream and turned to see the victim in the road.
Cruz-Hernandez was able to identify Abreu after jail officials pulled information on all of the men who had served with him at the jail.
The victim and another witness also positively identified Abreu in a photo line-up.
Abreu, who is a documented gang member, was booked into the Osceola County Jail on no bond. The incident did not appear to be gang related, Lizasuain said.
De la Rosa, who has been confined to a wheelchair for five years and has suffered from muscular dystrophy since being diagnosed at age 10, declined to suggest a punishment for Abreu but wants justice.
“I don’t wish him any harm but I would like for him to rethink his life and the choices he makes,” De la Rosa said, adding he moved to Kissimmee from Puerto Rico two years ago for a better life.
Abreu has a violent criminal history in Osceola County, according to court records.
In 2009, Abreu was charged with robbery, burglary of conveyance with assault or battery, assault and two counts each of battery and attempted robbery. Those charges were later dropped.
He was found not guilty in September for burglary of a dwelling, petit theft and criminal mischief.
He currently has a misdemeanor charge pending from Feb. 15 for allegedly serving, giving or selling alcohol to persons underage.