Florida State’s Attorney Monique Worrell and Rep. Rachel Plakon are pushing for changes to the criminal justice system after two suspects with lengthy criminal records were arrested last month for robbing an Amazon delivery man at gunpoint, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
Convicted felons Arkimase Divinard, 23, and Joel Aime, 24, were arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office after dash cam video showed them holding driver Louis Rodriguez at gunpoint before of stealing at least 10 packages from the truck on January 13.
Rodríguez told Fox 35 that he was scared and hoped he didn’t die. Fortunately, he was not physically harmed.
After the two men were identified, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said there were 85 felony charges and 11 convictions between them, a fact that both Worrell and Plakon said was troubling.
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An Amazon delivery driver was held up at gunpoint by two convicted felons on January 13 in Florida.
(Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
“You say 87 arrests and only 11 convictions, but that doesn’t explain the fact that we don’t convict children,” Worrell said, according to Fox 35.
Plakon, who sits on the state’s criminal justice committee, echoed Worrell’s comments, saying he was going to “find out what went wrong in this case” during an upcoming trip to Tallahassee.
“We have a great justice system, but at the same time, from time to time, you find a loophole,” Plakon said. To which Worrell said, “Is there a loophole? I would call it a rift, and a rift that these people are falling through to the detriment of our community.”
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Worrell said that both Divinard and Aime are mentally ill and have long criminal histories dating back to childhood. Divinard reportedly spent six years in adult prison when she was a minor, got out, committed another crime, and returned to adult prison.
“These were people who, from a very young age, suffered from mental illness and were not treated properly,” Worrell said, adding that he would like to see a change in the way juveniles are sentenced. “The maximum amount of time a child will remain in custody is 18 to 36 months. As we see our children commit more and more violent crimes, that is not long enough for rehabilitation purposes.”
The state attorney also said she wants mental health issues addressed while promoting public safety.
Worrell suggested providing the necessary resources so that those struggling with mental illness do not become repeat offenders, which ultimately keeps the community safe from potential crime.
When asked by a Fox 35 reporter if that meant a secure installation, she replied “it could mean that.”
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Plakon also plans to take steps to make residents like Rodríguez feel safe again.
“Even when you have good prosecutors, even when you have good judges, you have to make sure that they have the tools that they need, the laws that they need, that they can enforce,” he said.
