ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A man accused of killing a woman at a St. Lucie County hotel earlier this year is now facing a first-degree murder charge — and the State Attorney’s Office says it plans to seek the death penalty.
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Carlos Tito Caban, 51, was indicted by a grand jury and taken into custody in connection with the death of 58-year-old Toni Trabb. Investigators said Trabb was beaten and strangled inside a room at Best Western hotel in Fort Pierce back in March.
The next day, Caban was arrested in Georgia after allegedly fleeing the scene in Trabb’s car.
WPTV spoke exclusively with Trabb’s father, Tony Borrello, who is still processing the loss of his daughter but said he’s relieved an arrest has been made.
“She was very smart. She graduated magna cum laude in business,” Borrello said. “She was very helpful to me. She helped me out with a lot of technical stuff.”
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Borrello said not a day goes by without thinking about her.
“I think about her a lot. When I do, it’s happy thoughts kind of but sad that she’s not with me anymore,” he said.
According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Caban refused to speak with detectives during his arrest.
“Basically, he says, ‘You guys know what happened, and I want an attorney,’” said Sheriff Richard Del Toro. “This guy is a cold-blooded killer, as far as I’m concerned.”
When asked how he feels about prosecutors pursuing the death penalty, Borrello said, “I feel good about that. I think that’s what he deserves… That’s what I want.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Woman found dead in hotel room at Best Western
Sheriff Del Toro said the two met through a dating site and called this case a tragic reminder of how online interactions can sometimes lead to danger.
"It's a cautionary tale for people who use dating sites. You got to be careful, you go to do your homework," Del Toro said. "When you see someone start showing signs of violence, once people show you who they are, you can pretty much believe them."
In addition to the murder charge, Caban faces several other felony counts related to the case, including grand theft of a motor vehicle, fraudulent use of a credit card, and criminal use of personal identification, the sheriff's office said.
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Region St Lucie County
Sheriff's office investigating after woman found dead at hotel
Region St Lucie County
