An arrest was made last week in the hit and run death of rapper Nicki Minaj’s father who was walking along the roadway on Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue in Mineola.
The hit and run incident happened on Friday, Feb. 12 at 6:15 p.m. According to Homicide Squad detectives, while walking in the roadway on Roslyn Road at the intersection of Raff Avenue, 64-year-old Robert Maraj was struck by a northbound vehicle that left the scene of the accident. Maraj was transported to an area hospital and was pronounced deceased by a hospital physician on Feb. 13.
A few days later, 70-year-old Charles Polevich of Mineola turned himself in to police. The vehicle involved in the hit and run death was a white 1992 Volvo Series 740 Stationwagon. Polevich is charged with leaving the scene of an accident with a fatality and tampering with evidence.
“He got out of the car and he looked at the deceased, got into his car and made the conscious decision to leave instead of dialing 911 or call for an ambulance for the man,” Nassau County Police Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said at a press conference.
According to police, Polevich, who also has a residence in Guam, does not have any criminal history or any driving license history.
“Our detectives were scouring the neighborhood for video surveillance tracking that vehicle,” Fitzpatrick said. “The vehicle is an older model, so it was distinctive. We were able to track that vehicle prior to the accident and after the accident, and we kind of tracked it right to his house.”
Polevich allegedly hid his vehicle from being found by police, who according to Fitzpatrick have been in constant contact with Maraj’s family.
Maraj’s daughter Nicki Minaj, whose real name is Onika Maraj, has won numerous awards, including six American Music Awards, 10 BET Awards, seven BET Hip Hop Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, six MTV Europe Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, one Soul Train Music Award, and more.
Polevich was arraigned in Mineola on Feb. 17.
