Nicki Minaj’s Mom Sues Hit-And-Run Driver In Dad’s Death: Reports

MINEOLA, NY — Carol Maraj, the mother of rapper Nicki Minaj is suing the Mineola man arrested in the hit-and-run death of her father, Robert Maraj, according to published reports.

Charles Polevich, 70, was the driver of the car that struck Maraj and left him on a Long Island roadway, without calling him an ambulance and then hid his car from detectives in February, Nassau County police said.

Polevich, a resident of Guam who has a second home in Mineola, asked the 64-year-old Robert Maraj if "he was ok" as he laid on a Mineola street, and then he got back into his car and left, court records show.

Multiple news outlets have reported that attorneys Ben Crump and Joseph Napoli announced Friday that they are seeking $150 million from Polevich on the behalf of Maraj, who lives in Baldwin. In a statement to Law & Crime, the attorneys said that Polevich was “not only irresponsible and negligent” in hitting Maraj, but he was “more concerned about running away and hiding himself than in seeking help for the man he injured.”

“His behavior was criminal, cowardly and immoral. Through the filing of this lawsuit, we intend to hold Polevich responsible for his reckless actions and achieve justice for the victim’s widow,” the attorneys said.

Crump, who is handling the wrongful death cases of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, tweeted that he and his law partner intend on holding Polevich responsible for the “reckless actions” that caused Maraj’s death.

Polevich’s attorney, Marc C. Gann, who is representing him on his criminal charges, told Law & Crime that an insurance company would handle the civil case.

He declined to comment on the lawsuit’s allegations, and noted that he had not completed discovery in the case, Law & Crime reported.

Polevich turned himself in to police on Feb. 17, the New York Post reported. He was charged with leaving the scene of an auto accident with a fatality and tampering with evidence.

Garden City attorney Michael Scotto, who represented Polevich after his arrest in February, previously told Patch that he would continue to speak to Nassau County District Attorney Madeleine Singas’ office about the case. Scotto described Maraj's death as a "tragic accident," adding, that his thoughts and that of his client's "are with the Maraj family."

Polevich is free on $250,000 bond, but as part of his bond package, his driver's license has been suspended, preventing him from driving and he had to surrender his passport, Scotto said.

He faces up to seven years in a state prison, if he is convicted on the top charge of leaving the scene of an accident with a fatality.

In a press briefing after Polevich’s arrest last month, Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick, commanding officer of Nassau's Homicide Squad, said Polevich's white 1992 Volvo station wagon struck Maraj as he was walking on Roslyn Road at about 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 12.

"He was absolutely aware," Fitzpatrick said. "He got out of his car and looked at [Maraj], and got into his car and made the conscious decision to leave, instead of calling 911, instead of calling an ambulance for the man."

Maraj was transported to a local hospital in "critical condition," and during that time, detectives were scouring the neighborhood for video surveillance tracking his Volvo, Fitzpatrick said.

Detectives were able to locate Polevich, who does not have any prior criminal history, using pieces of surveillance video from the neighborhood that caught his Volvo before and after it struck Maraj, he said.

The Volvo was a late model and "more distinctive than modern cars" which made it easier for police to track it down to Polevich's house where he had it hidden under a tarp, Fitzpatrick said.

Detectives were not able to test Polevich for drugs or alcohol because of the length of time between the accident and his arrest, he said.

Polevich's whereabouts in the hours preceding the crash are known to detectives, Fitpatrick said, however, he did not release any further details. Maraj died from his injuries in the hospital on Feb. 13.

Detectives have spoken with Maraj's family throughout their investigation, and it is believed that Maraj, who lived in Mineola, was walking to a home or a local store, Fitzpatrick said.

"We are in constant touch with the family," he said.

Known by her professional name, Minaj, 38, was born Onika Tanya Maraj in Trinidad and Tobago, but she grew up in South Jamaica, Queens, Newsday reported. Minaj has not publicly commented on her father's death, but she has spoken out in a 2012 interview with Nightline, saying that her father struggled with an alcohol and drug addiction and was abusive, the Daily News reported.

Celebrity news site TMZ has reported there are photographs of Minaj and her father together over the years showing that they had a decent relationship.

Along with her fame, Minaj has had her share of heartbreak and family tragedy.

Her brother, Jelani Maraj of Baldwin, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2020 for repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl. A family attorney told Newsday, Maraj's father, Robert, was present during the trial of her brother and loved him dearly.