Haitian Immigrant Charged In Fatal Hammer Attack Outside Florida Gas Station
by HEDNEWS on April 8, 2026
Haitian Immigrant Charged in Fatal Hammer Attack Outside Florida Gas Station Fort Myers, Florida A 40‑year‑old Haitian immigrant has been charged with murder after he allegedly bludgeoned a woman to death with a hammer outside a Chevron gas station in broad daylight in Fort Myers, officials said.
- The victim, a 51‑year‑old mother of two and gas station clerk, was found unresponsive in the parking lot outside the convenience store at around 7:20 a.m. local time after being struck multiple times in the head with a metal mallet.
- Surveillance footage and witness accounts show the suspect, identified as Rolbert Joachin, smashing a vehicle’s windshield before approaching the woman and attacking her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Joachin, originally from Haiti, entered the United States in August 2022 and was reportedly released into the country under immigration procedures at the time. A federal judge had previously issued a final order of removal, and he was granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which expired in 2024.
- After the attack, police located and arrested Joachin on a nearby street with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He was taken into custody, read his rights through a Creole interpreter, and later confessed to the crime, according to court records.
- Joachin is charged with second‑degree murder and criminal mischief for damage to property exceeding $1,000.
- ICE has placed a detainer on him and indicated he will be deported regardless of the outcome of the court proceedings.
- Authorities provided limited detail on a possible motive for the attack.
- A statement shared on social media by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) characterized the incident as a tragic consequence of immigration policy decisions, emphasizing cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agencies in making the arrest.
