Verdict Reached In South Beach Murder Trial

Teenager Raped, Killed In Random Attack, Police Say

MIAMI – One of five men charged with allegedly abducting a teenage couple at gunpoint, raping and killing one and leaving the other for dead, has been found guilty on all counts Friday.

Victor Caraballo and the other men were charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, armed sexual battery by multiple perpetrators, and two counts each of armed kidnapping and armed robbery for the events that took place April 27, 2002.

Recommended Videos



Nelson Portobanco and his girlfriend, Ana Maria Angel, were both 18-year-old high school seniors at the time. They were walking back to their car on South Beach after a date when, Portobanco said, the men jumped the couple and pushed them into the pickup truck. He then said they drove north, gang-raping Angel while he was ordered to keep his head down. It is believed the couple were the victims of a random attack.

"She asked them to stop," Portobanco testified.

Portobanco said he was pulled from the truck and stabbed at least 10 times.

"I was trying to pretend I was dead," he said.

Police said Angel was driven farther and shot to death. Her body was found near Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County.

Caraballo was the first of five Orlando-area men to stand trial in connection with Angel's abduction, rape and death.

All five men pleaded not guilty.

Previous Stories: