MIAMI (WSVN) – Opening statements have begun in the trial of Anthawn Ragan Jr., a man accused of going on a month-long crime spree that would claim the life of a 21-year-old man and a 10-year-old more than a decade ago.
The accused killer, 30-year-old Anthawn Ragan appeared in court Monday as opening statements began in the trial over the murder of 21-year-old Luis Perez, setting the stage for a closely followed case.
Ragan is facing the death penalty for the murder of Perez in November of 2013. According to police, Ragan lay-waited Perez at the stairwell of a Motel Seven, before fatally shooting him.
Surveillance footage from that shooting was shown in court. On the second floor of the balcony, there two men stood, one of them pointed a gun point at the other.
Ragan is also facing a series of charges in the shooting death of 10-year-old Aaron Vu.
Surveillance video captured the shooting inside a North Miami Salon. That November day, police said, he and another man went into Hong Kong Nails, pointing their weapons and demanding money from the register and from customers.
Before leaving, several shots were fired. One of them killing Aaron, the other striking his father and owner of the salon, Hai Nam Vu in the shoulder. He survived.
The trial, however, centers on the killing of Perez. At this time, no trial date has been selected for Vu’s death.
Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
