Polevich Arrested For Murder of Nicki Minaj's Father
Charles Polevich was arrested on Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene of a fatal car accident that killed Nicki Minaj's father, Robert Maraj, last Friday. Maraj had been walking on the street when Polevich struck the 64-year-old pedestrian with his vehicle at 6:15 pm. According to police, Polevich stopped and exited his car to check on the injured man. Yet, rather than helping Maraj and calling 911, Polevich fled the scene. Maraj was eventually taken to the hospital and succumbed to his injuries on Saturday."He's absolutely aware of what happened," Nassau County Detective Lieutenant Stephen Fitzpatrick said in a press conference on Wednesday. "He got out of the car, looked at the deceased, got into his car and made the conscious decision to leave instead of dialing 911 and calling an ambulance for the man." Polevich, 70, was driving a 1992 white Volvo Station Wagon at the time of the incident. After he fled the fatal automobile accident, he attempted to conceal his distinctive car from the police. However, police were able to track his vehicle before and after the accident by using security footage from neighboring cameras. "We kind of tracked it right to his house," Fitzpatrick said, adding that Polevich had hidden his car underneath a tarp in his garage. At the time of the press conference, Fitzpatrick noted that the police had not yet evaluated him for any drug or alcohol use during the accident. The lieutenant stated that if Polevich had been sober and had remained at the scene of the accident, there would have been no criminal charges pressed against him.Polevich surrendered to police on Wednesday morning but pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. Nassau District Court Judge Lisa Petrocelli set Polevich's bail at $250,000 bond (or $125,000 cash). Because Polevich is a resident of Guam, Petrocelli also ordered him to surrender his passport and to remain in New York state in the event that he is released from jail.Polevich posted bail on Wednesday night and was released from jail. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 26.
