Man pleads guilty to murdering 10-year-old boy in 2013 crime spree
Anthawn Ragan Jr. appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez on Thursday to enter a guilty plea for charges related to a violent three-week crime wave in 2013. The 31-year-old admitted to the first-degree murder of 10-year-old Aaron Vu, who was fatally shot during an armed robbery at his parents’ nail salon in northwest Miami-Dade. Despite the guilty plea, prosecutors confirmed they are still seeking the death penalty.
In a significant procedural development, Ragan waived his right to have a jury determine his sentence, opting instead for a bench sentencing where the judge alone will decide between life in prison or execution. Legal observers note this is an unusual strategy for capital cases, as defense teams typically rely on jurors to find mitigating factors or hold holdouts against a unanimous death recommendation. By pleading guilty and bypassing the jury, the defense may be attempting to demonstrate acceptance of responsibility to the court, potentially aiming to secure a life sentence over capital punishment.
The events leading to the charges occurred more than a decade ago when Ragan and associates conducted a series of armed robberies. During the incident at the nail salon, video surveillance captured the gunman terrorizing customers before firing into the establishment, striking the 10-year-old child. The case sparked widespread outrage and galvanized the local community, leading to a lengthy legal process that has spanned nearly 13 years. The sentencing phase is expected to begin in February.
miamiherald.com
