A year later, DUI death suspect is in college as victim asks: Why?
Zegeye after his arrest last year (Courtesy PBSO)
About 11 p.m. one night of September 2008, a Benjamin School senior in his Porsche Cayenne ploughed into two cars stopped at a traffic light in Palm Beach Gardens, at a speed that investigators estimated at 80 mph.
A pizza delivery man was killed. Another motorist was seriously injured.
The 17-year-old driver, Beruch Zegeye, the son of a prominent area neurosurgeon, was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter and reckless driving.
He was on his way home from a booze- and pill-fueled party with fellow Benjamin kids. Tests allegedly showed the alcohol level in his blood was triple the state’s 0.02 limit for drivers under 21.
A year later, Zegeye’s criminal case in a Palm Beach County court is at a virtual stand still.
And Zegeye is a freshman at Pace University in New York after authorities allowed him to travel to school.
The victims?
The pizza man, Paul Krommendyk, has long been buried.
And after a month at the hospital the other motorist, 71-year-old insurance salesman Richard Lombardi, said he was shocked to learn that Zegeye is in college, out-of-state.
“I don’t understand. Why? Instead of paying for his mistake, he’s having fun in college,” Lombardi told Page2Live. “It’s not fair that he’s having a good time. I’m still hurt. I can barely twist my head. I have a lot of pain in my shoulder. The four weeks I spent at the hospital were no walk in the park.
“Don’t they have house-arrest in college?”
Lombardi, who lives a few miles from the crash site, says he remembers hearing a bomb-like explosion before his car was projected across PGA Boulevard.
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“I was trying to brake and the thing wouldn’t stop,” he said.
He remembers watching firefighters cut his car open to extract him. Doctors, he said, used four pints of blood because of internal bleeding, among dozens of procedures.
“I’m trying to recoup some money but the young man’s dad has so many shell companies that we can’t figure out who really owned his car,” Lombardi said.
The criminal case, meanwhile, has moved at a snail’s pace. Zegeye’s house arrest — he was allowed to leave his house only to go to the $25,000-a-year Benjamin — was lifted in February. In May, he asked to move to New York.
Zegeye’s lawyer, David Roth, asked for the permission and the assistant state attorney assigned to the case, Ellen Roberts (who had two children at Benjamin in the 1980s), agreed. Roth also waved Zegeye’s right to a speedy trial.
“We had no reason to object to his leaving,” said Mike Edmondson, spokesman for State Attorney Mike McAuliffe. “For as long as he comes back for trial.”
Edmondson declined comment on the reasons why there’s no end in sight in the criminal prosecution.
Roth didn’t comment either, but the court file shows he’s deposing more than a dozen witnesses, including a slew of former and current Benjamin students. Among them is Bill O’Leary, a former Benjamin football player who happens to be golf legend Jack Nicklaus grandson.
The party, that fateful day, started on a yacht owned by the golfer.
There’s no trial date, but Lombardi hopes Zegeye won’t get off so easily.
“At least 20 years on probation, and he should be forced to visit schools to talk about drunk driving,” Lombardi said.
Oh, yes. An apology would be nice, too. Lombardi has yet to hear from Zegeye or his family.
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another example that if you have money in palm beach co you can get away with anything..if you can hire the lubins,roths you will get a slap on the risk..this guy should be locked up like they would do any other person,compare charges of people in jail now for some small harmful crime like crack pipes.small amount of weed,these people are only hurting their self this spoiled self-centered kid was DRUNK..were is MADD when you need them to bring attention to cases like this..put his hide in jail and let daddy keep someone canteen full to keep his lil boy manhood from being taken…the state attoney office is full of sh*t…
This guy needs to go to school so he can get a good job and pay RESTITUTION for the rest of his life. He will never be able to pay this man off from flipping burgers. Think about it.
Had this not been the son of a prominent neurosurgeon with DEEP ties to important people, justice would have prevailed. He is nothing more than a snot-ass rich kid with a father who is able to play hide-and-seek with their family assets.
There is law special to the wealthy and then there is law for the rest.This case proves the fact.
Between their mortgage, car leases, legal expenses, club dues, tuition, insurance, taxes and day to day expenses a neurosurgeon doesn’t have much left worth hiding. I am afraid the victims are not ever going to be financially compensated for their enormous suffering. A punk in a Porsche is a recipe for disaster and the parents need to be made FULLY accountable.
The rich can afford excellent lawyers (think Epstein) and local yokel lawyers are weak. They are no match for the big guys.
Get this case in gear. Disgusting!
Now, what did Shakespeare say???????????
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People’s lives are gone “forever”, Survivor’s lives are remaining “forever”, to live with and struggle with the pain of their lost loved ones, while this kid is moving on with life? What???!!
Once again, The adults or persons who supplied this “kid” w/alcohol… should pay the Ultimate Price & also this “kid”, should take responsibility for his actions (LAW!!!)…., including rehab, if necessary. I refuse to accept one that is “well off” or “prominent”… is above the law, if this is the case, seems to be! Bottom line a persons life is GONE! Do we pick & choose what incidents fall within the LAW! Great Amenity!$$$! (SAD) -End-
Am I the only one disgusted by this!! A man is dead and the person that caused it is living/walking free with no repercussions!! God will judge him in the end, but in the meantime, if I ever see this kid he’s not gonna be a happy camper!!
I understand that he was 17 and should not have been drinking and is obviously at fault for the accident and should be punished severly, however, I do have a question. Jose says his blood alcohol level was more then three times over the .02 under 21 law, not the .08 dui law. So if I am reading this correctly, he had a .06 level. Someone please clearify, because if that is the case, this is traggic, but this case is more complex and dui manslaughter might not be the proper charge, maybe manslaughter which is still serious.
What ever happend to innocent until proven guilty?
Wow. He killed one and seriously damaged another and he doesn’t have to worry about it. I hope this kid relizes what he did in the long run. I mean how can u sleep knowing you f**ked up lives from fun. I wish I was rich lol. No but really nobody should walk away easily from this. I mean I get the college thing, but they better be stern and for real when he goes to trial. I do think he should atleast say sorry in person the injuired man. My heart goes out to him and the pizza man that died. That family of the pizza man should be outraged.
Innocent until proven guilty? Good point. But what happend to the right to a speedy trial? Sure he’s still “innocent” at this point, but don’t the victims in this crash have the right to have their day in court for the chance to refute his innocence and prove this punk kid’s guilt?
another shining example of American justice…
In America, you’re as free as you can afford to be…
this kid’s family is obviuosly freer than the pizza guys.
he should be in jail for 20 years. that may deter his classmates from other affluent (free) PBC families
a man is dead. a justice system based on monetary payment is not justice at all.
rich guy pays up and rolls on. poor guy might not eat over the same offense… THAT is not justice.
This young man was driving the car that struck and kiiled one man and injured another. Of that, there is no question.
The family first tried to fight the charges using claims of diplomatic immunity. I believe that went nowhere.
Shell companies or not, the car was insured. Th family is sending their daughter to Benjamin, where she is a junior in good standing. Ask many of the students and parents at Benjamin and they will tell you of a home where the family is SO connnected the police don’t bother to answer numerous complaints. Was there a party at the O’Leary home in Seminole prior to the accident; Yes. There was another party at the previously stated home where the party giver attend Cardinal Newman. Shouldn’t be too hard to file Civil Suits against any or all of these adults while waiting for the Criminal Charges to come down.
Something stinks. Where is Michael McAuliffe ? Concerned a he and his well-connected wife, Judge Rosenberg have close contacts at the Benjamin School? Hmm. If it was the pizza delivery man killing a student, he would have been convicted already.
Interesting that PACE Univ accepted this kid when these very serious charges were hanging over his head.
I wonder if the college or the other students he is with at college know what he has done. Is anyone monitoring him at college or he there drinking and partying? The state attorney should be fired for making that deal. The boy should be in PBC waiting for trial and going to a local college during the day and home at night on house arrest. I hope the man who was hurt and the family of the dead man are suing the father. As the boy was only 17 at the time of the incident the parents should be financially responsible 100%
This is tragic, but why is everybody so quick to judge. Just remember, we all could have a system like Iran where the police and gov are the judge, jury, and executioner. How much money has this area paid out to people that have been wrongfully convicted or arrested, probably millions. Also, crime and cases in the court system have exploded, but prosecutors, judges, and cops are having their budgets sliced and people are leaving the profession. We will be lucky if we still have a court system in the next few years.
Jim ! innocent until proven guilty? what are you talking about? this kid was driving the car … or did they found another driver? come on this is just another instance where innocent until proven guilty is replaced by rich get away with anything in this county . …… SHAME ON THE STATE ATTORNEY or whoever is supposed to be keeping criminals of the streets .
the dad with a bunch of “shell companies”? Hope the IRS has been notified and let them get in on this too. The parents should be ashamed. Settle with the man.
This rich spoiled brat will never own up to what he did. I’m sure Mommy and Daddy have already bought him a shiny new Porsche, and I’d be willing to bet the brat is still pill-popping and drinking before driving around, ignoring the fact that he stole lives that can never be given back. I went to Benjamin years ago and am absolutely disgusted to see what kind of trash has come out of there now. If there is a hell, he will surely rot there.
Welcome to WPB trick - $5,000 your guilty $50,000 your innocent.
I’m a driving instructor working with the schools teaching teens how to drive. I know kids that knew Beruch Zegeye and they told me that his father had said that his son would never go to jail. And that he has enough money and power to keep him out.
Seems to be working.
NEW PACE UNIVERSITY STUDENT ACCEPTANCE POLICY
If you are a rich, alcohol and drug-abusing killer, then Pace University is for you. Is this the type of students you accept at Pace? You should be ashamed of yourselves.
(Link to this page)
Above is a link to a very disturbing article concerning a Pace Univ student who is a DUI manslaughter suspect.
I think it is ironic that the Pace Press has current articles addressing student alcohol abuse, yet Pace is actively accepting drunken killers as students.
By doing this, don’t you think you are facilitating his irresponsibility and avoidance of the tragedy he has caused? I think this is so ironic that I have forwarded this same information to your other local press. I wonder how the citizens of your town would feel if they knew that Pace University was putting their families in danger by placing a killer among them? I also wonder how parents of your student body would feel knowing you are placing a verifiable killer among their children? How many more people are going to have to die at the hands of this rich, underage alcohol and drug-abusing killer? A letter to the editor has been sent to Pace Press.
Next, we are going to get a copy of his Pace application and verify that he stated his current legal status. If he did, you guys are disgusting and should be ashamed of yourselves. If he hadn’t, now you have a reason to do what you should have done before–send his sorry rich ass back to Florida to face the tragedy he has caused and not facilitate his escape.
Good day.
P.S. Yonas (the father of the suspect), I can understand trying to protect your family. But your son’s and your behavior afterwards, is reprehensible. I hope your cohorts AND PATIENTS find out and your business suffers. Isn’t that all you rich people care about anyway? Palm Beach County is the cesspool of spoiled, over-endulged, crooked, lying, stealing politicians and rich kids/people. They are all dirty. They just have the money to cover it up and buy people off.
So Daddy said that his son would never go to jail and he has enough money and power to keep him out. Well, Daddy, just remember “what goes around, comes around”.
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.
Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.
And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.
And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.
This kid exhibited an extremely poor lack of judgment and his actions ended up taking a life and ruining the lives of others. He should NOT be attending college in New York and hopefully does not have a driver’s license. If anything, he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law to show other young people the weight of their actions.
With that said, it’s not really about The Benjamin School. Sure, it makes better reading that the students went to a private school (tuition is actually not $25,000..but since everything else is exaggerated, why not). The Porsche was actually his father’s car and they were out on Nicklaus’ center console boat not his “yacht”, which again sounds more sensational.
Here’s the thing: kids are and have been partying in schools everywhere. Do you think you won’t find alcohol and yes, even pills, consumed by students at the local public schools? Of course, you will. In fact there have been numerous substance-related incidents which are still awaiting trial. So, leave the suspect’s sister, the other students, and The Benjamin School out of it, and report -actual- facts. Here’s to hoping that justice is blind and this young man is forced to own his actions.
CYNTHIA ANDREWS & LINDA TAYLOR 3 YEARS AGO LEFT THIS EARTH BECAUSE OF A DRUG INDUSED DRIVER.
MR. KROMMENDYK’S FAMILY MAY GOD GIVE YOU PEACE, MR. LOMBARDI MAY GOD HEAL YOU OF YOUR PAIN.
I DON’T SEE JUSTICE HAPPENING ANYTIME SOON FOR ANY OF THESE VICTIMS.
REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THOSE THAT ARE LEFT BEHIND.
Knew that this would happen, that is why I have been keeping tabs on this case. It is DISGUSTING, that a DRUNK driver can KILL a person, and just go on like nothing has happened. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! There should be a public demanding of accountability from our public officials for allowing this outrage. Why was this man allowed to leave the state? His parents have ties to outside the country, he could easily leave the country. This needs to be investigated, rigoriously, money buys everything in this country. Just kill someone, as long as you are rich, no big deal. After all, it was only a pizza guy who was killed. This is such a travesty of justice. No accountability at all. Florida laws regarding drunk driving are a joke. You get more time for abusing cats.
Wow!! another case of money talks in PBC. People are failing to realize that God sits high, but he looks low. We may not see all and know all that you do (bad deeds) but he does. Believe me, “JUDGEMENT DAY”, let’s see where your $$$ gets you. Lawmakers, judges, law enforcement and others, how can you live with yourselves knowing all these things are WRONG. Is it worth selling your soul for $$$? How can you people sleep at night, I guess with no conscience it’s easy. If I were to commit such horrible crimes I would be in the PBC jail with no bail. We as parents must take more responsibility for our children and stop trying to be their friend and buy them everything. Let’s start with love and discipline, not $$$. This trend of killing people with vehicles due to drugs and alcohol and walking free has to stop!! Being a murder, how can you live with yourselves. (JUDGEMENT DAY) Cynthia Andrews and Linda Taylor were killed 3 years ago this past week. The crime has gone unpunished with a slap on the wrist. The person on trial really didn’t do it, he took the fall for his friend, whom is another one of PBC elites, spoiled rich kids,
(T _ E _ N _ ). Once again follow the money trail in PBC. You’re on trial with no money and no job, you have one of the best lying trial lawyers in PBC, expensive suit and more … Where’s
ADAM now, he can not be located in the system. The $$$ promised has been paid and all his debts paid off and the back child support,$$$ in pocket. He’s just like the kid set free and probably back with his buddy whom he took the fall for T _ E _ N _ . These people never learn and will strike again and when it’s one of the elites of PBC family members watch what happens. We structure the rules in this county as they are convenient for the current situations. What goes around comes around, let us watch!! Stay Tuned !!!
The Benjamin connection is the strongest of them all and remains one of the most powerful ways to get business done in this county–especially North County. Alums or parents of alums stick together–plain and simple.
It’s really sad, though, that many parents send their kids there thinking they’ll escape the element–sex, drugs, violence–and protect their kids, because the exact OPPOSITE is what happens at the Benjamin School. In the 80s and 90s, weekend alcoholic binges on boats were the norm. Then, as it is today, if you don’t partake in them, you’re a nobody.
The Benjamin administration knows all this goes on but turns the other way for fear of losing their precious donation money. I remember one student being assaulted on campus by another student. The perpetrator didn’t receive so much as a reprimand for causing physical harm to a classmate.
At least one of the Nicklauses was getting in trouble even then, getting caught smuggling beer to a party at Golden Bear. The staff just looked the other way.
Wake up everybody. You’ll keep reading the same stories just like this one unless you get vocal and put a stop to the insanity.
Missing Link: I respect your opinion, but have to disagree with you to a certain extent.
Do parents network with other parents at their kids’ school to do business? Sure, they do..everywhere. They also do this through rec sports, religious organizations, and in their neighborhoods. What’s wrong with that?
I’m not sure if you polled Benjamin parents they would say they sent their kids to school there to escape “sexs, drugs, and violence”. In my experience, they have and do send their children there to get an advanced education. There IS a party scene at Benjamin, just as every other school in the area: Cardinal Newman, Jupiter Christian, Gardens..etc.
Full disclosure: I actually attended Benjamin in the 80’s and 90’s. There were parties, sometimes on the water..but our classes were close knit..and not partaking in the parties definitely did NOT make you a “nobody”.
As you say, the Benjamin administration is not ignorant to what students do on the weekends. If you talk to any school administration, it’s the same. I can’t speak to the “student being assulted”, but I can tell you that in the 20+ years I have been involved with that community..things have indeed been safer than the public school system: no guns, knives, major fights.
My only point: Benjamin is not simply a community of corrupt and harmful people as this thread would lead you to believe. Last week a student was arrested for DUI manslaughter and a 16 year old girl was arrested for trying to murder her boyfriend-both at public high schools. They just don’t make the gossip column because there is no “juicy” financial aspect to the story.
Ultimately, I agree with what is being said here. The loss of life is TRAGIC. This young man should be prosecuted regardless of his “connections”. Hope justice is blind and served.
Skippy:
Let’s get real, and please take your rose colored glasses off.
To answer your question, there’s nothing wrong with networking at their kids school. However, when people like Ellen Roberts–”supposedly” one of the toughest prosecutors on juvenile fatal car crash causers–goes soft on someone, presumably because they attend Benjamin as did her kids.. that’s a problem. Your tax dollars pay for her to keep these allegedly harmful people locked up. That’s when “networking” –or in this case–loyalty to a flaw becomes a problem.
Tell me how the Benjamin education is better than the public school’s? I attended there, and I can tell you it wasn’t. Further, the kids at Benjamin do not get into better schools than their public school counterparts. While I agree, many think their kids get a better education there, they know they don’t. And the real reason why they send their kids there is to keep up with the Joneses or avoid the “element” found in the public school system. You know what I mean. Yes. Criminal incidents at public schools do happen too, but when you look at the crimes committed by Benjamin School students–whether they are caught or not–the numbers per student are staggering. I know, because I went there and saw it for myself.
But, alas, we digress. The point of my post wasn’t to bash Benjamin but rather to underscore just how tight the Benjamin bond–or family tie–really is. If you get locked up for a crime and the prosecutor on the case also sent her kids to the same school as the criminal, you get to go to college. If you smoke pot and do cocaine and marry a certain Hollywood actor, you are heralded as a “proud alum” by fellow Benjaminos. Seriously, that’s too bad.
This case should be air on 20/20 or 60 Minutes, and justive will be served .
Missing Link:
Agree to disagree on the Benjamin thing. However, I think we both agree that what happened to these families is tragic, this kid should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and we hope justice is swiftly served.
Your Fellow “Benjamino”,
-Skippy
I too am horrified by the lack of justice….seems like house arrest and community college would have been a better decision by the assistant state attorney’s office…let’s all voice our opinion in hopes to recitfy a very poor decision for the victims and their families and in hopes of a correction to this situation.
[...] A year later, DUI death suspect is in college as victim asks: Why? [...]
This needs to be uncovered and shown the cover up that this is, blatent. “waived right to speedy trial”, how about, “we are waiting for everyone to forget about this, so that it can be swept under the rug”.
This needs to be on Nancy Grace, or Jane Valdez-Mitchell. How long until we find out that the “little prince” has gone back to whatver rock his parents are from? Oh, whoops, he is going to college in Africa now.
Justice in Palm Beach County = Over a million in the bank.
TH STATE ATTORNEYS OFFICE AND THAT MOTHERFUCKER STATE ATTORNEY SHOULD BE KILLED AND HANGED FROM FLAG POLE. THEY CAN ALL SUCK MY BIG FAT COCK. PUT THIS CRIMINAL FUCK IN PRISON FOR THE REST OF HIS MISERABLE ETHIOPIAN AIDS INFESTED LIFE. MISTAKE MY ASS! HEY STATE ATTORNEYS LOOK OUT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING SOMEONE OUT THERE MIGHT SMASH INTO YOUR PIECE OF SHIT LEXUS. IF THIS ASSHOLE WALKS THEN THEY SHOULD GIVE EVERY CRIMINAL A CLEAR RECORD. I HOPE THAT SON OF A BITCH STATE ATTORNEY’S GETS FUCKED UP THE ASS. YOU WILL PAY MOTHERFUCKER I PROMISE YOU! THE STATE OF FLORIDA SHOULD BE HIT BY A SUNAMI!
[...] Paul Krommendyk was sitting in his tiny car at a traffic light on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens when he was killed in the Zegeye crash, which may have occurred at 80 mph. Another man was injured. [...]
[...] at first, Zegeye was eventually allowed to travel to New York City to attend Pace University. Hearings on his case have been postponed time and time again, and a plea conference is scheduled for April — a year and a half after 45-year-old pizzaman [...]