'They stole his life': Suspect charged with killing man in Wendy's parking lot week before his wedding in 'carjacking gone wrong'

Louis Antuwn Redmon and Hershy Schwartz's fiancee fiancé, Rosie Brustowsky (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

A 23-year-old man in Florida was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a soon-to-be-groom in a Wendy's parking lot about a week before he was scheduled to tie the knot. Louis Antuwn Redmon was taken into custody last week and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Hershy Schwartz, authorities announced.

In addition to the murder charge, Redmon is also facing charges of armed carjacking, armed robbery, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

According to North Miami Beach Chief of Police Harvette Smith, Schwartz and his fiancé, Rosie Brustowsky, moved from New York at the beginning of the year to "start a new life." But on the evening of Feb. 19, 2023, Schwartz was found shot to death in the driver's seat of his car which was in the parking lot of the Wendy's located at 25 Northeast 167 Street.

"Our detectives believe Redmon targeted Mr. Hershy Schwartz to steal his car," Chief Smith said during a Thursday afternoon news conference. "But to put it simple, this was an armed carjacking gone wrong and they stole his life. Fingerprint evidence and ballistic evidence is what linked Redmon to this crime. In addition, it was good, old-fashioned detective work."

Smith explained that investigators located witnesses who provided them with information known only to law enforcement, saying it further bolstered the case against Redmon.

"That was supposed to be the most incredible week of my life, and instead we were mourning," Brustowsky, who spoke after Smith, told the room of assembled reporters. "Looking back, I was counting down to the worst day of my life."

According to a copy of the probable cause affidavit obtained by CW affiliate WJXT, Schwartz regularly left his house early in the morning hours of the day, before sunrise. In this case, detectives believe that Schwartz was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Surveillance video obtained by police reportedly showed Redmon appearing to case Schwartz's SUV, walking around the car and looking into the windows. He then reportedly opened the door and the two briefly struggled inside the vehicle before Redmon backs up and fires a handgun at Schwartz.

When first responders arrived on the scene they found that Schwartz's wallet, cellphone, and firearm were all missing from the car.

Additionally, investigators reportedly said that in the aftermath of the shooting, phone calls were made and text messages were sent from Schwartz's phone to a phone registered in the name of Redmon's girlfriend. He allegedly called his girlfriend using the Instagram video app and told her about the deadly encounter with Schwartz

WJXT further reported that Redmon was previously convicted on charges of illegally possessing a firearm and fleeing law enforcement with reckless disregard, the Miami Herald reported. He began his prison sentence in February 2020 and was released in September of last year.