Teen Charged With NYC Rabbi's Miami Murder

A 15-year-old has been charged with the murder of a rabbi who was shot to death last year while walking to a synagogue in Miami.

Florida state prosecutors announced on Wednesday that Deandre Edwin Charles has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted robbery with a firearm, ending a 16-month investigation into the death of Joseph Raksin, a rabbi from New York City. Charles is being charged as an adult.

State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle declined to go into details about the case but said prosecutors have "rich" evidence connecting Charles to the violent attack, including DNA evidence and a witness' sketch of the suspect.

Raksin, 60, was visiting relatives when he was fatally shot in the chest on the morning of Aug. 9, 2014. The Orthodox rabbi didn't have money with him at the time, as observing Jews are forbidden from carrying money on the Sabbath.

Police said at least two black males participated in the attack and that they are still looking for other suspects.

"We will not rest until the other perpetrators are arrested," said Miami-Dade Police Deputy Director Juan Perez. "We stand together and we will continue to collaborate until we finish this case."

He advised any other perpetrators to turn themselves in. "Or we will come get you," he said. "I mean that."

In an emotional statement, Shula Labkowski Raksin, the rabbi's daughter, thanked police and prosecutors for their hard work.

"The light that my father had will continue to burn with his children and grandchildren and will never be extinguished," she said after remarking on the teen's charges coming on the third day of Hanukkah.

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