On April 2, 2026, Rolbert Joachin, a 40-year-old Haitian national, was arrested following a brutal hammer attack that killed 51-year-old Nilufa Easmin at a Chevron gas station in Fort Myers. Surveillance footage captured Joachin smashing the windshield of Easmin’s SUV to lure her out of the convenience store where she worked. Once outside, Joachin allegedly struck her repeatedly in the head with a hammer, an assault he later confessed to planning days in advance. He is currently being held without bond at the Lee County Jail on charges of second-degree murder and criminal mischief.
The case has ignited a national debate over immigration policy due to Joachin’s status. Although he was issued a final order of removal in 2022 after arriving by boat, he remained in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). His TPS had expired in 2024, but his removal had not been executed, a fact highlighted by DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis and other officials as a failure of enforcement. Following the murder, federal authorities formally revoked his status and lodged an ICE detainer, ensuring he will face deportation regardless of the trial’s outcome.
The victim, Nilufa Easmin (also known as Yasmin), was a Bangladeshi immigrant and a mother of two daughters who had lived in the U.S. for three decades. Local community members have held vigils at the gas station to honor her memory. Beyond the immediate charges, Fort Myers police are investigating Joachin as a potential suspect in a separate, months-old unsolved homicide on nearby Hough Street. Joachin has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for arraignment on May 4, 2026.