The drawn-out saga of an Israeli consular’s son charged with driving his motorcycle into a police officer neared conclusion Wednesday, when a judge was informed the 19-year-old completed terms of a plea deal with the state and was leaving for Israel later that evening.
Late last month, after writing a letter to injured Sunny Isles Beach Police Officer Ruben Zamora that was filled with apologies and lessons learned, Avraham Gil told the court that after his “significant wake-up call,” he’d decided to actively serve in Israel’s military.
The state then agreed to an unusually lean punishment — no prison time if Gil attended traffic school, completed 100 hours of community service, agreed not to drive and donated $500 to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
After learning he’d completed the requirements Wednesday, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Teresa Pooler sent Gil on his way. His attorney Stephen Millan told the judge the family’s visa was set to expire by the end of the month and that they were heading back to Israel after the hearing.
Gil and his father Eli Gil, Israeli Consulate Consul for Administration in Miami, quickly left the courtroom without comment.
Teen strikes officer with his motorcycle
According to police, it was late afternoon on Jan. 27 when Sunny Isles Beach police officer Lt. Zamora had left his patrol car and was walking near Collins Avenue and 174th Street. The officer claimed he noticed Gil riding a 2018 black Suzuki in-and-out of traffic and signaled and yelled for him to pull over.
The teen ignored the orders, Zamora said, striking the officer, who somehow managed to pull the teen to the ground. Zamora’s leg was injured and Gil was taken into custody and initially charged with battery and resisting an officer.
Those charges were dropped. The charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer —which could carry a 3-year prison term — stuck.
The court denied immunity claims by Gil’s attorneys and despite additional claims that the teen’s arrest was mishandled, Gil reached a deal with state prosecutors, completed his requirements, and avoided jail time.
Neither Sunny Isles Beach police nor Zamora would comment Wednesday. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office did not respond immediately to the Herald’s query.
Previous incidents with police
It also turned out Gil’s late January confrontation with the Sunny Isles police officer wasn’t his first brush with the law. A month earlier on New Year’s Eve, he was stopped by a Miami Shores police officer, also for allegedly speeding and careening in-and-out of traffic.
The officer said Gil had a cover over his diplomatic license plate that read “PLS CHASE.” The officer eventually let him go after learning of the teen’s father’s job with the Israeli consulate general’s office in Miami. Earlier, Miami Police said they also spotted Gil dangerously racing down Biscayne Boulevard. But they gave up the chase as a precaution.
In Gil’s letter written a few weeks ago directly to officer Zamora, the teen said he regrets any harm he may have caused, was sorry for his poor judgment and asked for forgiveness.
“Please know that I am dedicated to making amends and moving forward in a positive direction,” Gil wrote. “Please pray for me.”