Rodobaldo Sanchez Arrested For Attempted Murder Of Mini Mart Clerk Cen Yue Kui

After an intense three-day search, Miami Police say they have caught the man who brutally attacked a Little Havana convenience store owner with chemicals and a hammer on Sunday, all for two cartons of cigarettes.

Rodobaldo Sanchez, 50, was arrested Wednesday night after he was observed just a few miles from where 44-year-old Cen Yue Kui was attacked at Alex's Mini Mart on NW 12th Avenue and 5th Street. Police had been on the lookout for Sanchez after he was identified on Tuesday by a fingerprint pulled off a carton of cigarettes at the scene of the crime.

Surveillance video from the attack showed a man fitting Sanchez's description approach the store counter under the pretense of buying milk. While Kui rang up the purchase, the assailant sprayed him in the face with an unknown chemical, then beat him to the ground with what appeared to be a sledge hammer before grabbing two cartons of cigarettes and fleeing the scene.

The furious attack left Kui, a married father of two, on life support and in a coma with severe head trauma.

Police say Sanchez, who sports a swastika tattoo on one arm, was spotted wearing what appeared to be the same clothing worn during the attack and carrying several packages of cigarettes and a squirt bottle in a bag. He denied responsibility for the crime, telling police the bottle contained mace "used to blind people," according to the arrest affidavit.

He is being held without bail on charges of attempted first degree murder, armed occupied burglary with assault, armed robbery, and armed false imprisonment.

Comments

[liarsclub75]

01:32 PM on 12/29/2011

Low life swine! People need to arm themselves against trash like this. I hope this thing never gets out of prison

[sam green 31605]

12:16 PM on 12/23/2011

for all you that dont like the 2nd amendment...look at that face...bet this isnt his first go round with violence or the system either.

[dave1296]

11:38 AM on 12/23/2011

Throw him into the tiger's cage at the Miami zoo

[JimWind]

09:56 PM on 12/22/2011

Break out the rubber hoses, beat some sense into him. OOHHH sorry the evil in me came out.

[Stressedtothebone]

02:11 PM on 12/22/2011

I am so happy they caught his low life. I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison.

[kagu632418]

11:36 AM on 12/22/2011

Just one look at this animal says it all. They should get it over with and hit him with his own sledge hamer. My prayers go out to the victim and his family.