Florida Teens Charged With Murder Of Orthodox MMA Fighter
Aaron Rajman’s funeral near Boca Raton, FL. Image by Twitter
(JTA) — Three Florida teens have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Orthodox Jewish professional mixed martial arts fighter Aaron Rajman.
The teens were arrested Friday and on Saturday a judge in Palm Beach County Criminal Court ordered them held without bond. They also face charges of two counts of armed home invasion robbery with a firearm.
The teens have been named as Roberto Ortiz and Jace Swinton, both 18, and high school junior Summer Church, 16. Church reportedly was a friend of Rajman’s after meeting him in January at a convenience store and Swinton is her ex-boyfriend.
Rajman, 25, was killed on the evening of July 3 when several men entered his home in West Boca Raton. The men reportedly argued with Rajman and shot him before driving away.
Summer Church’s mother Judith said that on the day of the murder her daughter was forced at gunpoint by Ortiz and three other unidentified gunmen to call Rajman to see if he was home and was then let out of the car before they drove to the fighter’s home, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Police say the girl was the mastermind behind the murder. She agreed to be interviewed by detectives over 12 hours on three days, according to the newspaper.
Rajman turned professional in 2014 and held a 2-2 record after winning several MMA titles as an amateur. He is believed to be the only Orthodox Jewish MMA fighter.
Rajman reportedly studied Torah at the Chabad and taught children at a local Jewish school, as well as self-defense classes for children and Krav Maga techniques to local police.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
