‘Hell is better than this,” says victim’s wife on her loss.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: A 15-year-old accused of murdering an Indian American convenience store clerk during a robbery in St. Augustine, Florida, last month, is being charged as an adult, State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced earlier this month.
Morgan-Wideman was arrested May 19 in connection with the death of Malav Desai , a 29-year-old clerk at Tobacco and Beverage Express at 70 Masters Drive in St. Augustine.
A St. Johns County grand jury indicted Sergio Morgan-Wideman on four counts on June 4: felony first-degree murder, armed robbery with a firearm, and two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
While the death penalty is not an option, Morgan-Wideman could face life in prison.
One witness at the scene told police he heard a man yelling at the store clerk to hurry and give him money. Seconds later, he heard a bang and the door chime going off. He also said the suspect was carrying a small pistol with a wooden handle, according to the Florida Times-Union.
Morgan-Wideman was then seen entering a sports utility vehicle — later confirmed to be stolen from another country and driven by 16-year-old Andre Jerome Robinson Jr. — and a high-speed, multi-city chase ensued.
Robinson was apprehended along with his cohort and is currently under investigation, according to Larizza.
Desai’s wife, Aakanksha Desai, told WJXT that the charges against Morgan-Wideman give her some relief as she grieves the tragic loss of her husband. She hopes he receives a full life-sentence.
“I never saw hell in my life. I’m sure hell is better than this,” Aakanksha Desai said. “Whatever I do, whatever I say, everything reminds me of him, because my day used to start with him, it used to end with him. Every evening when we would come home, I look at the clock, it reminds me of him. I feel that someone is going to put in the keys to the door and open the door and walk in like he did every evening, but I don’t think that’s ever going to happen now.”
With the couple’s families residing in India, it was just the two of them in the United States. She said they were planning on having kids next year.
“My friend saw the video. They said he gave everything. He was handing over the cash while this person shot him, and I think that’s extremely cruel,” Aakanksha Desai said. “I wish that person shot me instead of him. At least I wouldn’t have to live without him.”
A St. Augustine school raised thousands of dollars for Aakanksha Desai, reported WJXT, which she selflessly donated to the Wounded Warrior Project in honor of her late husband.