An LA Fitness personal trainer was jailed in Palm Beach County Friday, after being arrested in Texas last week and charged with murder and robbery for the violent beating of two Boca Town Center shoppers police say he followed to their home.
One of the victims, 80-year-old Albert Honigman, died two days after the attack, which happened in the victims' garage in the 7000 block of Ashford Lane.
Kareem Andre Williams, 25, of 4541 Emerald Vista in Lake Worth was jailed in Palm Beach County just after midnight. He had been arrested by U.S. Marshalls in Harris County, Texas, near Houston, on Feb. 6.
Through an investigation of cellphone records, highway traffic cameras and other evidence, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies linked the crime to Williams, who has an extensive criminal background.
According to a Sheriff's Office report, deputies responded to Ashford Lane at 8:50 p.m. Jan. 11 to investigate a residential burglary and battery.
Honigman's daughter, Lauren Kanoff, told deputies that shortly after arriving home from the mall with her father, they got out of their car in the garage and were immediately attacked by a man. Her father was attacked first and he fell to the garage floor, hitting his head.
The assailant then turned to Kanoff, robbed her and beat her and then fled in a silver car, taking with him a $26,000 Rolex Presidential men's watch and a $35,000 pear-shaped diamond woman's ring and a $2,500 woman's necklace.
Deputies returned to the home at 8:23 p.m. Jan. 13 after Honigman died in his sleep and his death was attributed to injuries he suffered in the violent robbery two nights before.
Investigators developed Williams as a suspect by viewing traffic cameras showing the victims' car being followed from the mall by a silver Chevrolet Camaro, with a tag registered to Williams and his uncle. Police contacted his uncle on Jan. 16, who said he co-signed the car loan for the suspect on Dec. 1.
Other evidence detectives gathered includes mall surveillance video and cellphone records. Also, the surviving victim identified Williams as the attacker in a photo lineup.
Police interviewed a friend of Williams' on Jan. 18, who said Williams told her he "was involved in a serious situation, however, nobody died."
A friend told investigators that on Jan. 18, Williams had asked to park his car behind his home, which he allowed. Later, the car had to be moved to the front and Williams asked that the tag be removed. The next day, Williams asked him to drive him to Tallahassee, which the man told police was unusual behavior for Williams.
Police found the car in West Palm Beach, where the resident said Williams had sold him the car for $18,000 on Jan. 18, but had not provided the title.
The Sheriff's Office reports Williams has an extensive criminal background and was released from prison in 2011 after conviction on armed burglary and firearms offenses.
Williams remains in the Palm Beach County Jail without bail.
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