Authorities have arrested a man suspected of carrying out a fatal public bludgeoning and fleeing the scene earlier on Thursday.

The Fort Myers Police Department confirmed that a 42-year-old woman, identified as Nilufar Yasmin, was killed outside the D & D Convenience Store located at 3500 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on April 2.

Yasmin, a Bangladeshi national originally from Kusakhali village in Chandraganj upazila, Lakshmipur district, had been working at the store for approximately six months.

The attack occurred at around 7:30 a.m. on the store’s veranda. According to reports and CCTV footage, Yasmin was opening the shop when a man began vandalizing a jeep in the store’s parking area using a hammer. She stepped outside to confront him, at which point the suspect approached and struck her multiple times with the weapon.

Yasmin collapsed from her injuries, and the attacker continued the assault before fleeing the scene. Emergency services were called, and responders later confirmed her death at the scene.

Store owner Arif Ahmed Ashraf stated that Yasmin had been living in Fort Myers with her two daughters following her separation from her husband. Her body is expected to be released to her family after a post-mortem examination.

Police identified the suspect as Robert Joaquin, who was taken into custody approximately nine hours after the incident. He is currently being held without bail as the investigation continues.