Trial witnesses recall violent robbery, slaying

In a dramatic day of testimony Thursday, jurors in the high-profile Three Amigos robbery-murder trial heard a widow describe how a car window exploded as a bullet meant for someone else killed her husband.

Yvonne Salomon tearfully talked about watching her spouse of 49 years, Samuel, die before her eyes.

As she spoke, pausing to wipe her eyes with a tissue, Raul Andino listened at the defense table wearing headphones to hear an Englishto-Spanish translation. He’s the accused mastermind of the robbery of Three Amigos grocery in West Boynton, and is also charged in the fatal shooting.

The Salomons were heading home from Hanukkah shopping in their minivan. Then chaos as they sat in traffic on Atlantic Avenue in West Delray.

“Like somebody threw a rock,” she said, of the sound that hit the driver’s side window. “The window just exploded.”

Shot once in the chest, Samuel Salomon managed to put the vehicle in neutral before losing consciousness.

“He just passed out,” his wife told the jury. “I didn’t know that he died.”

The first witness in the trial was Dr. Michael Bell, the county’s chief medical examiner. On Wednesday, he testified that Salomon, a father of four sons and several grandchildren, had almost no chance of survival.

Salomon, 70, took a bullet that was fired at Three Amigos store manager Sian Kiat “Sam” Koh.

On Thursday, Koh testified about the events of Nov. 30, 2007, which began when four robbers burst into his Three Amigos check cashing and convenience store with guns drawn. They forced customers to the ground and emptied cash registers of $58,000, he said.

After the robbery, Koh hopped in his Mercedes and drove up to 100 mph on Florida’s Turnpike, determined not to lose sight of the Dodge Magnum carrying the robbers.

Koh called 911 and stayed on the phone with an operator throughout the chase, and a recording of the call was played for the jury.

“I can’t believe I lost them,” Koh sighed in frustration on the call, after getting off at the Glades Road exit. “Unbelievable.”

The manager previously gave much of the same testimony at numerous trials for five of Andino’s co-defendants — all of whom were convicted and are serving life sentences.

After years of trying to bring Andino, 32, before a jury, prosecutors had him extradited from Spain two years ago and his trial finally opened.

As the accused ringleader of a Miami-based gang, Andino is charged with first-degree murder in the death of retired kosher baker Salomon, attempted murder of Koh, robbery and other charges.

Michael Maher, attorney for Andino, told the jury his client participated in what he called a “botched robbery.”

“It was ill-planned by people who had not intended to harm anybody,” he said.

Andino was the third of four robbers to enter Three Amigos, while a fifth man, the getaway driver, waited outside, Maher said. After the robbery, Andino left with the group, sitting in the front passenger seat.

But the defense attorney tried to raise doubts as to whether Andino could be linked to the shooting.

Maher suggested there is no proof he was still in the car when it was followed by Koh, or minutes later on Atlantic Avenue near the turnpike exit.

Maher said Andino’s gun was never found, while the weapon used to kill Salomon was recovered by detectives. The attorney also asked the jury to disregard testimony yet to come from a sixth accomplice, Nelson Urbina, 38.

Urbina, who took a plea deal on a second-degree murder charge in 2011 and is serving an 18-year prison term, is scheduled to testify Friday about assisting Andino before and after the robbery.

The defense said Urbina will say anything to curry favor with prosecutors Lauren Godden and John Parnofiello.

In her opening statement, Godden showed a Three Amigos surveillance video of Andino, wearing a white shirt and black hat, participating in the robbery.

It was planned for days in advance and Andino supplied the guns for the job, she said, previewing Urbina’s testimony.

On Thursday, former area farm worker Jaime Trejo testified that he was in the store when Andino’s crew stormed inside and threatened customers.

“I felt something bad was going to happen,” Trejo said in Spanish, according to a courtroom interpreter. His stolen wallet, with an assortment of bills, was later recovered in the getaway car.