South Florida

Two Arrested in Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash in Dania Beach

Two people have been arrested in the hit and run crash that killed a young boy and injured his older brother in Dania Beach.
 
Zachary Benjamins, 22, and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Anaee Barbeito, were arrested Monday, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Benjamins had been on the run for two weeks.
 
BSO said Benjamins was driving Barbeito's grey Toyota Tacoma on Bryan Road when he struck 8-year-old Apollo "AJ" Brown, Jr. and his brother, 14-year-old Kelv'ron Florence, as the two walked home from a basketball game on December 8th.
 
Barbeito told police she was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the crash. The next morning, she contacted her insurance company and provided false information about how the truck was damaged.
 
Brown died twelve days after the crash on December 19th. Florence remains hospitalized at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood.
 
According to BSO's arrest report, the owner of Atlantic Coast Collision in Fort Lauderdale alerted authorities after Benjamins brought his truck to the shop for repair. Shop owner Nicholas Peppi told detectives the Tacoma had damage matching the description of the vehicle sought in the hit and run.

Peppi told NBC 6 they had the truck for over a week before realizing it had been the one involved in the crash.
 
"We received the vehicle around the 10th or 11th of December and realized for sure we had the vehicle this past Sunday, and we called BSO Monday morning," Peppi said. "The vehicle was far along in repairs, close to being completed. Maybe next couple days."
 
Peppi said he is relieved they made the discovery in time.
 
"It's a shame and I'm just glad he got caught and we can bring some closure to the family," Peppi said. "It won't bring back the children, but it helps."
 
Sheriff Scott Israel said Peppi's help was critical in making the arrests.
 
"They stood for all the right things and they want to see justice served," Israel said. "Two young boys were run down and nobody stopped to help."
 
AJ's mother Selena Brown said the family is planning the young boy's funeral.
 
"I'm still mourning because I lost my son," Brown said. "I'm fighting for the other one."
 
When asked what she would say to Benjamins, Brown said, "You could've turned yourself in right at the scene of the crime... How could you do this, leave me and my family broken like this?"
 
Benjamins faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, as well as evidence tampering. He was being held on $350,000 bond.
 
But Benjamins' attorney Thomas Morse said he is fighting to lower that bond.
 
"He's very upset, he's down," Morse said. "He's incarcerated so anyone would be down in his situation. He knows these are serious charges."
 
Barbeito was charged with insurance fraud, tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact.

The family of the two young boys has set up a fund to help pay for funeral and medical costs. To donate, click here.

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