MIAMI – A Broward County judge granted a continuance until August 5th in the attempted murder/hate crime against the Makarenko family.
The family defense attorney, Mike Glasser, says it gives more time for evidence to reveal itself ultimately exonerating his clients.
Glasser has worked closely with the state.
“I credit the state in particular the prosecutor, MR Torres, immensely for his open-mindedness to reconsider to view evidence in a neutral light and we’re please with what’s going on”, said Glasser.
In shackles, Oleh Makarenko and his father, Yevhen, appeared in court and remain in Broward County custody.
Innah Makarenko bonded out of jail, but was picked up by ICE and is in custody on an immigration hold.
The case was thrown out against Vladyslav, because it was proven he wasn’t in the state at the time of the crime.
The whole case centers on a 9-month relationship between Oleh and his ex-boyfriend, the victim in this case.
The victim accused the Makarenko family of forcing their way into his Pompano Beach apartment and beat him mercilessly on August 6, 2021. The beating so bad, it left him partially blind.
The victim initially told BSO Deputies he got drunk and fell hitting his head. Seven months later the victim then told it was the Makarenko’s who beat him saying he made Oleh gay.
Glasser said , “They had no idea of who this person was until after they were arrested in march of this year”.
Glasser says there’s no physical evidence, no DNA linking the parents to the victims apartment.
Further, he says none of the Makarenko’s were near the crime scene that morning and phone records prove it.
“They were home. They were sleeping like all of us were”, Glasser said. “If I asked you to prove where you were on August 6th of last year at 1-am, I think it would be very hard to physically prove it to say I was home, I was sleeping, check my phone records. And the phone records have been checked and they were home”.
The entire family could bond out of jail as early as next week. As Ukrainian refugees they’re all held on an immigration hold. Glasser believes by the August 5th continuance date the case will be thrown out.