2 arrested after man found ‘savagely beaten to death’ at Orlando shopping plaza

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Two men were arrested after a victim was “savagely beaten to death” at an Orlando shopping plaza last week, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Monday in a tweet.

Brandon Griffin, 29, and Luis Rosaly Jr., 33, face charges of first-degree murder in connection with the July 21 beating that occurred at a Bravo supermarket on North Hiawassee Road near Silver Star Road, deputies said.

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Investigators said they were called to the Orange County shopping plaza that day around 3:45 a.m. Upon arrival, deputies said they found the victim, identified as 46-year-old Joseph Rohl, injured. Rohl was taken to a hospital, where he later died, deputies said.

According to the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orange County, a woman, who identified herself as Rohl’s wife, identified the victim and told deputies she “had no idea what occurred to him.”

Deputies said they observed plastic bags with broken liquor bottles strewn at the scene.

Video surveillance footage from Bravo Supermarket and Dragon City Chinese Restaurant shows an unknown man wearing gray pants, black underwear, white tennis shoes and no shirt approach the victim, who appeared to be sleeping on the sidewalk, around midnight. He then walked away and returned about an hour later, with a woman on foot and a driver in a blue truck following close behind.

According to an affidavit for an arrest warrant, he then began punching Rohl, who attempted to roll over to protect himself.

The woman and man then picked up the victim’s belongings and placed him in the blue truck, an affidavit reads.

Footage then captures the victim walking along the same plaza around 2:30 a.m. and stopping in front of the same Chinese restaurant before the same suspect appeared to attack him.

The suspect kicked the victim’s face into a brick wall, stomping and punching Rohl’s body for a few minutes before walking away.

Around 3 a.m., the victim did not appear to move again, according to deputies. Investigators said footage shows who they believe is the same suspect return to the scene with another man in a hooded sweatshirt, who beat the victim “a few more times.” The suspects were joined by two other subjects before walking off, deputies said.

Minutes later, an affidavit shows an unknown person arrived on foot, tried and failed to administer first aid to the victim and called 911.

After review surveillance video, Rohl’s wife, who lived with her husband at a homeless camp in that shopping plaza, told deputies she left Rohl in the parking lot to pass out drunk before checking on him again around 6-7 p.m.

Deputies said she did not recognize the men in the footage but did say her husband “had many enemies due to his violent nature while drunk.”

Griffin later confessed to beating up Rohl due to money owed from a drug deal and the victim’s wife allegedly telling the suspect Rohl beat and raped her, deputies said.

“Our detectives worked tirelessly to catch them, because you cannot take a life and get away with it,” the sheriff’s office said in the tweet.

Rosaly is scheduled to appear in court at 11 a.m. Tuesday, court officials said.

He faces charges for first-degree murder, kidnapping and accessory after the fact.

Check back for updates.

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