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Apr 8, 2009 7:28 pm US/Eastern
Oakland Park Man Beaten In Robbery Is Left In Coma
OAKLAND PARK (CBS4) ―
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Police say a man who looks like the one in this drawing beat two robbery victims in two occassions in Broward County.
CBS
The search continues for a group of men who viciously beat and then robbed two men; one of them was left in a coma in Broward.
Investigators say one of the men attacked, Craig Cohen, was beaten so badly he has not regained consciousness, and therefore they've not been able to question him as to what happened.
"I'm praying every day that he makes it. It doesn't look good. I don't think that I'm ever going to get to speak to my friend again," said Cohen's friend Arthur Arndt.
Cohen was walking from the Peter Pan Diner on Oakland Park Boulevard to his home a few blocks away when he was brutally attacked.
"I was told by a close friend of his that has spoken to the family that if he does survive this he will be on a ventilator for the rest of his life, and that the front lobe of his brain is dead," said Arndt.
Throughout the day, Cohen's friends kept vigil outside Broward General Medical Center.
"Even though he's in a coma, we believe that he can hear us," said friend of 30 years Hector Varas while talking on the phone.
Other friends were also nearby. "This is terrible, hitting very close to home," said Francine Rubino. "He's a dear friend, he's a good person. He's never hurt anybody."
David Villanova, from Pompano Beach, was also attacked after a night out in Wilton Manors. He told police he was walking to a nearby 7-11 when they jumped him from behind. Now, however, investigators believe his attack may have also happened on Oakland Park Blvd.
"He said that he was walking, he was struck in the back of the head was the initial blow," said Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Kathy Collins. "He went down. He believes a total of 4 guys beat on him."
Investigators say these cases are definitely linked. In both cases, detectives believe the victims were jumped by four guys. And In each case the men were robbed. One other common thread: both victims are gay. At this time, however, police believe that's nothing more than a coincidence.
"Right now, in both of these crimes, robbery is the only motive we're looking at," explained BSO spokeswoman Dani Moschella. "If we develop other information later on, of course we'll pursue it."
If you have information that can help in the investigation, call Broward Crimestoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
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