'Pure evil': Palm Bay police chief criticizes judicial system after 69-year-old man is slain
A man with an extensive criminal history has been charged with the Thursday murder of a 69-year-old Palm Bay man, police said Saturday.
"This 31-year-old suspect is pure evil," Palm Bay Police Chief Mario Augello said in a Saturday night Facebook video announcing that Justin Giambanco faces charges of second-degree murder with a firearm and other crimes.
"He is a violent repeat offender that, while out on bond for a previous arrest, preyed on the citizens of Brevard County. The suspect in this case is just another example of how our current criminal justice system is failing to keep our community safe," Augello said.
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Giambanco also faces charges of false imprisonment, grand theft of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon related to the murder.
He remains incarcerated without bail at the Brevard County Jail Complex. His initial court appearance took place Sunday morning from the jail, and he will be arraigned May 18 at the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Justice Center in Viera.
The homicide investigation began about 7 p.m. Thursday after Palm Bay police responded to a report of a dead man at a home in the 2700 block of Palm Drive Northeast, Augello said. Palm Drive is a short residential street off U.S. 1 between R.J. Conlan Boulevard and Castaway Point Park.
Police did not disclose the man's name, and an arrest affidavit in the case was not available Sunday morning. Messages seeking information were left with police.
Augello said the murder investigation involved a collaborative effort including Melbourne police and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. Before Palm Bay police received the 911 call reporting a body on Palm Drive, Melbourne police had arrested Giambanco on Thursday morning on unrelated felony charges after a brief foot chase at Wawa in downtown Melbourne, an arrest affidavit said.
Augello said Giambanco is a Brevard County resident. Giambanco told Melbourne police he lives at an Orlando address.
In January 2018, Giambanco was convicted of attempted burglary of a dwelling, shooting a deadly missile within an occupied dwelling and criminal mischief after an arrest in beachside Melbourne. After spending about two years behind bars, he was released and began violating the conditions of his probation, Augello said.
After an April 2021 probation violation, Augello said Giambanco was sentenced to serve 53 months behind bars. But he was released in October 2022. Augello said he was most recently released from jail April 16.
"Since his most recent release, this individual has been a suspect of several burglaries within our county. And his most heinous act yet: the brutal murder of a 69-year-old Palm Bay resident just a few short days ago," Augello said in the video.
"We are seeing far too many violent repeat offenders being released way too early, for either shorter sentences or because of minimal bottom-outs. This murder could have been prevented had Giambanco served his full 53-month sentence back in April of 2021," he said.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 'Pure evil': Palm Bay police chief bashes judicial system after murder
