Jury selection begins in murder of man who answered escort ad
Jury selection began Tuesday in the case of a man who was kidnapped, robbed and shot dead after responding to an escort ad in late 2013.
Prosecutors say two men are responsible for the killing of Gustavo Mora Falsetti Cabral, 31, inside a vacant home west of Lake Worth.
Jurors will this week begin hearing the trial of Jefty Claude Joseph, 24. Co-defendant Ilmart Christophe, 23, will stand trial separately at another time.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for both men, who have given statements blaming each other for the violence.
A key witness against Joseph and Christophe is expected to be Koral Benshimon, 24, who was accused of posing as the escort.
In October, Benshimon was sentenced to 10 years in prison plus five years of probation after she pleaded guilty to kidnapping and robbery counts.
The State Attorney’s Office dropped a charge of first-degree murder with a firearm as part of the deal that requires her truthful testimony against the men.
Cabral, of Coconut Creek, responded to an escort service listing by “Belle Ayrab Barbie/Sexy Angeline Latina,” according to court records.
Detectives said Cabral called Benshimon several times before arriving at the parking lot of a Pompano Beach Super 8 Motel, in the 2300 block of NE 10th St, at 5:08 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2013.
Benshimon said she told Cabral her price was $100 for an hour and for him to come up to Room 226 in a few minutes.
When Cabral entered the room, Joseph and Christophe were waiting and ordered Cabral to the ground at gunpoint, tied him up and took $400 in cash, credit cards and his cellphone, records show.
Cabral was “so scared he could hardly talk,” and his life was threatened unless he provided his debit card PIN and complied with demands to call his credit card companies to increase his spending limits, according to the account that Benshimon gave investigators.
Christophe and Joseph then forced Cabral at gunpoint into the backseat of his black Toyota Camry for a ride to several banks in attempts to withdraw money, records show. Benshimon followed in another car, and was later advised to wait for them outside Christophe’s mother’s residence in the Indian Pines neighborhood north of Lantana Road.
A witness told deputies that three men entered the abandoned house on the 5900 block of Ithaca Circle West and minutes later there was the sound of a gunshot. Only two of the men left the house.
At about 9:30 a.m., deputies found Cabral dead in the garage and minutes later caught up to Joseph and Christophe in neighborhood.
A search of Joseph’s pockets yielded the Super 8 room keycard and two of Cabral’s credit cards and driver’s license, records show.
After Joseph was arrested, he claimed he ran into Cabral, an acquaintance from childhood, at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino and the two went to Lake Worth to buy drugs.
Joseph said they later picked up Christophe and went to the house where Cabral was shot; Joseph explained that he heard a “pop” and a “thump” after Cabral and Christophe went to the back of the house together.
Circuit Judge John is presiding the trial. the same Kastrenakes over