Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Shooter’s brother Zachary Cruz seeks ‘new life’ with move to Va.
GREENACRES – Zachary Cruz, brother of Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, left South Florida for Virginia with his two dogs Sunday afternoon.
There, he’s expected to finish high school and work at a new job.
Zachary Cruz also said he wants to start a campaign to help kids who are bullied at school.
“My brother didn’t really fit in with a lot of people, I saw the effects of that first hand, so it is a real issue, so I just want to try and change that,” Cruz said Sunday before he left.
The organization helping him alleged to reporters that his client has been harassed by law enforcement officials with the Broward Sheriff ’s Office.
“He’s been demonized,” said Nexus Services CEO Mike Donovan as Cruz, 18, picked up his dogs
from an animal hospital in Greenacres.
Donovan also said that on Saturday, Cruz ventured into Broward County to visit his mother’s gravesite. But his ankle monitor went off — wrongly, Donovan said, explaining that Cruz hadn’t been violating any courtimposed conditions by visiting his mother’s grave. The incident put an early end to the visit.
The monitor continued to go off for several hours, causing some discomfort and forcing a quick call to the monitoring center, Donovan said.
The golden retriever pit bull mix belong to Zachary, and the smaller fox terrier mix belongs to his brother, Nikolas.
Cruz’s living quarters and $13-an-hour job as a maintenance technician will be provided by Nexus Services, which specializes in helping people adjust after prison or treatment.
During the hearing, prosecutor Sarahnell Murphy closely questioned Nexus officials about the level of supervision Zachary Cruz would be under, how he would get around and what kind of mental health counseling would be available.
The Nexus officials assured her they would keep close tabs on him and ensure he met all requirements of his probation, including electronic monitoring of his whereabouts.
Cruz still faces a host of probation restrictions. He cannot possess weapons or ammunition, can’t use drugs or alcohol and can’t visit any school unless he is enrolled there.
“I’m very happy with the court’s ruling,” Cruz, who was dressed in a charcoal suit and plaid tie, told reporters after the hearing. “I’m looking forward to starting a new life there.”
Cruz had been living with a caretaker, Rocxanne Deschamps, who initially took in both brothers after their mother died in November. Nikolas Cruz, in custody at the Broward County jail since the night of the Feb. 14 shooting, had moved out after a dispute with Deschamps over his guns and went to live with another family shortly before the massacre.
Deschamps told Zachary Cruz he had to leave her home after he was arrested last week for violating probation by driving his mother’s car without a license, his attorney said. He has been living in a hotel since then.
Nikolas Cruz has confessed to the crime. His lawyers say he would plead guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence, but prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.