Jacksonville McDonald's worker is slain trying to thwart robbery

[aaapolito]

http://jacksonville.com/community/southside/2010-02-23/story/jacksonville_mcdonald’s_worker_a_haitian_immigrant_is_slain_try

[copperfiend]

Sad story. And in the middle of the day.

[JagFan07]

A Family Support Fund has been established and contributions are being accepted for Raynold Orelus’ family.

Donations can be made at any  Vystar Credit Union location. 

The name on the account is Miraclide Orelus and the account # is 702809176.

These donations are going directly to the family for their needs.

[JagFan07]

From the TU:

A judge this morning ordered a Jacksonville man held without in Monday's slaying of a McDonald's worker who died while trying to thwart the bold daytime robbery of the manager in the store's parking lot.

Nesta K. Walker, 28, of the 9400 block of Spottswood Road is charged with murder in the slaying of Raynold Orelus, 45, a Haitian immigrant and father of five. Walker is also charged with armed robbery with a firearm and fleeing law enforcement. He was booked into the Duval County jail about 10 p.m. Tuesday. Walker said nothing in court this morning.

Police records show that Walker, who is unemployed, was arrested last year on charges of carrying a concealed firearm and grand theft and in 2006 for battery. The charges were dropped in both cases, though it's unclear why.

Orelus' grieving wife continued this morning her attempt to cope with the slaying's impact, including how she will be able to afford his funeral and bring their four sons from earthquake-ravaged Haiti to attend.

The family this morning opened up an account for donations at Vystar Credit Union. Donations can be made at any Vystar branch in the wife's name, Miraclide Orelus, at account number 702809176.

A few hours Monday afternoon's attack, Miraclide sat wailing in her home holding the couple's fifth son, a 1-year-old boy.

“Raynold good, good, good boy,”  cried Orelus of her husband of 19 years.

Police said they captured Walker after following him into Northwest Jacksonville, about 13 miles from the slaying outside the Southside McDonald’s at 8950 Baymeadows Road.

Photos: Fatal Shooting at McDonalds @ Baymeadows

Orelus was shot shortly before 2 p.m. while escorting the store’s manager to her car on her way to make a bank deposit.

Walker's arrest report released this morning said the manager was getting into her vehicle with Orelus standing by when a gunman rajnj up and demanded the money bag. The manager dropped the bag in the vehicle and backed away. Orelus grabbed the gunman, who shot him and ran off with the bag. The gunman got into a vehicle and drove off. The store manager wasn't hurt.

A man who witnessed the attack put his vehicle into reverse, striking the gunman's vehicle. The gunman was able to drive out of the parking lot and got onto northbound Interstate 95. The witness flagged down and officer and police spotted the suspect vehicle on I-95.

The vehicle drove onto 8th Street and a police canine officer turned on the emergency lights of his vehicle in an attempt to stop the man. The man drove near the 1300 block of West 9th Street, bailed out of his vehicle and began to run. Shots were fired, though police didn't say by who, and the man was caught by a police dog moments later.

Shortly after the shooting, Orelus’ co-workers and others rushed from the McDonald’s in an effort to save him.

“All of them went to help him, to hold him, to try to console him, to try to keep him alive,” said Mia Hall, 27, whose husband worked with the victim.

Miraclide Orelus, 47, said her husband had been working as a maintenance man at the McDonald’s for about nine months as a way to earn money to help bring his sons, ages 9 to 18, to the United States from Haiti. Since the earthquake that devastated their country, the boys have been living in the streets, said Miraclide, whose husband followed her to Florida from Haiti about six years ago, leaving the children with an aunt.

She said she last saw Raynold as he left home for work about 5:45 a.m. She heard from a family friend about trouble at the store. She arrived to find her husband’s body covered with a white sheet in the parking lot next to the manager’s truck. Two people held Miraclide up as she wept.

Miraclide sat in her living room still crying and slapping her hands in mourning four hours later. She said through a translator that she was still waiting for her husband to come home.

“He was the only one supporting the family,” Miraclide said.

Members of the victim’s church in St. Augustine gathered at the crime scene after hearing about the slaying. Orelus’ family, his work and attending the Haitian Mission Evangelical Melchess church were the most important things in his life, his wife said.

“Sad. Very sad,” said a teary-eyed Marie Fonthus, 50, whose husband, Apolos,  is the family’s pastor. “He’s a very, very, very good guy.”

Hall said she knew the victim as a kind-hearted man who would help anyone in need.

“You hear about it everyday, but you never think it’ll just happen to somebody you know,” Hall said.

McDonald’s owner Dave Mullins Sr. said in a written statement: “All who knew and worked with Ray will miss him. His dedication to his work and the kindness he showed to his co-workers is a testament to the wonderful person Ray was.”

Orelus’ wife said she must worry now how she will bring their sons to Jacksonville for a funeral because she has little money. At the thought of that, her wails grew even louder.

Times-Union writers Deirdre Conner and Dan Scanlan contributed to this report.

[jandar]

Sad sad sad.

Save the needles, pump a bullet into this thug.

[JagFan07]

Some good news from this awful tragedy.

A flood of support from the Jacksonville community and beyond has been building throughout the day for a local Haitian woman whose husband was slain Monday while trying to thwart the bold daytime robbery of a co-worker outside a Southside McDonald's.

Miraclide Orelus spent another day weeping over the fatal shooting of her husband, Raynold, and wondering how she can afford to bring their four sons in earthquake-ravaged Haiti to Jacksonville for his funeral, said family friend Kerlens Fonthus. The couple's fifth son, an infant, lives with his mother.

The family this morning opened up an account for donations at Vystar Credit Union to be made at any branch in the wife's name. The account number is 702809176. More than $2,200 had been donated by early afternoon, said Renec Joanis, a family friend.

The owner of the McDonald's, Dave Mullins Sr., announced this afternoon he's donated $5,000 to the account and urged others to give what they can. A Ponte Vedra Beach businessman, who asked to remain anonymous, said he is trying to arrange for the couple's sons to come to Jacksonville for the funeral. People from as far as North Carolina have called and e-mailed the Times-Union to say they've seen or heard of the story and plan to donate or otherwise help.

“I think it is great because the community is getting involved,” said Fonthus, 22, whose father is the couple's pastor. “He was a great person.”

The unemployed Jacksonville man charged in the slaying, Nesta K. Walker, 28, was ordered held without bail today. Walker, of the 9400 block of Spottswood Road, is charged with murder, armed robbery with a firearm and fleeing law enforcement. He was booked into the Duval County jail about 10 p.m. Monday. Walker said nothing in court this morning.

Police records show that Walker was arrested last year on charges of carrying a concealed firearm and grand theft and in 2006 for battery. The charges were dropped in both cases.

The State Attorney's Office this afternoon issued a news release stating that there were valid reasons to drop both prior cases. The victim and witness gave sworn statements that didn't support prosecution in the battery case. In the gun case, the firearm was found in the glove box of a car in which Walker was a passenger. Prosecutors didn't feel they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he stole the firearm or that it was readily accessible to Walker, the release said.

A few hours after Monday's attack, the 45-year-old victim's wife sat wailing in her home surrounding by friends and fellow parishoners.

“Raynold good, good, good boy,”  cried Orelus, 47, of her husband of 19 years.

Police said they captured Walker after following him into Northwest Jacksonville, about 13 miles from the slaying outside the Southside McDonald’s at 8950 Baymeadows Road.

Photos: Fatal Shooting at McDonalds @ Baymeadows

Orelus was shot shortly before 2 p.m. while escorting the store’s manager to her car on her way to make a bank deposit.

Walker's arrest report released this morning said the manager was getting into her vehicle with Orelus standing by when a gunman ran up and demanded the money bag. The manager dropped the bag in the vehicle and backed away. Orelus grabbed the gunman, who shot him and ran off with the bag. The gunman got into a vehicle and drove off. The store manager wasn't hurt.

A man who witnessed the attack put his vehicle into reverse, striking the gunman's vehicle. The gunman was able to drive out of the parking lot and got onto northbound Interstate 95. The witness flagged down an officer and police spotted the suspect vehicle on I-95.

The suspect drove onto Eighth Street and a police canine officer turned on the emergency lights of his vehicle in an attempt to stop him. The man drove near the 1300 block of West Ninth Street, bailed out of his vehicle and began to run. Shots were fired, though police didn't say by whom, and the man was caught by a police dog moments later.

Shortly after the shooting, Orelus’ co-workers and others rushed from the McDonald’s in an effort to save him.

“All of them went to help him, to hold him, to try to console him, to try to keep him alive,” said Mia Hall, 27, whose husband worked with the victim.

Miraclide Orelus, 47, said her husband had been working as a maintenance man at the McDonald’s for about nine months as a way to earn money to help bring his sons, ages 9 to 18, to the United States from Haiti. Since the earthquake that devastated their country, the boys have been living in the streets, said Miraclide, whose husband followed her to Florida from Haiti about six years ago, leaving the children with an aunt.

She said she last saw Raynold as he left home for work about 5:45 a.m. She heard from a family friend about trouble at the store. She arrived to find her husband’s body covered with a white sheet in the parking lot next to the manager’s truck. Two people held Miraclide up as she wept.

Miraclide sat in her living room still crying and slapping her hands in mourning four hours later. She said through a translator that she was still waiting for her husband to come home.

“He was the only one supporting the family,” Miraclide said.

Members of the victim’s church in St. Augustine gathered at the crime scene after hearing about the slaying. Orelus’ family, his work and attending the Haitian Mission Evangelical Melchess church were the most important things in his life, his wife said.

“Sad. Very sad,” said a teary-eyed Marie Fonthus, 50, whose husband, Apolos,  is the family’s pastor. “He’s a very, very, very good guy.”

Hall said she knew the victim as a kind-hearted man who would help anyone in need.

“You hear about it everyday, but you never think it’ll just happen to somebody you know,” Hall said.

Times-Union writers Deirdre Conner and Dan Scanlan contributed to this report.

http://jacksonville.com/community/southside/2010-02-23/story/community_support_pouring_in_for_family_of_slain_haitian_father

[Bostech]

She should sue Mcdonalds for using him as shield for their money.
I don't think minimum wage employees should be guarding their money.

[I-10east]

Walker is a scumbag who should'nt never see the light of day again.

That being said, there's a fine line between being heroic, and suicidal. Give the money up, and live to see another day. 9 times outta 10 all the robber wants is the money, not killing victims. I know that this sounds cliche, but money is replaceable, but your life isn't. Please don't think that I'm sticking up for that scumbag.

[Ethylene]

She should sue Mcdonalds for using him as shield for their money.
I don't think minimum wage employees should be guarding their money.

I wonder about the exact same thing, maintenance/security totally different tasks!

[JagFan07]

Walker is a scumbag who should'nt never see the light of day again.

That being said, there's a fine line between being heroic, and suicidal. Give the money up, and live to see another day. 9 times outta 10 all the robber wants is the money, not killing victims. I know that this sounds cliche, but money is replaceable, but your life isn't. Please don't think that I'm sticking up for that scumbag.

I can tell you from personal knowledge that all McDonald's employees are trained using this exact logic before they ever start there first shift. That is why the manager  dropped the money and walked away. The employee should have done the same.

That being said no one knows how they will react until put in that position. When this happened to me, with all the training I had to the contrary, I chased the perp on foot as another employee followed in a vehicle. Thankfully, the employee and I were unharmed (except for the "What were you thinking" scolding I got from my wife).

She should sue Mcdonalds for using him as shield for their money.
I don't think minimum wage employees should be guarding their money.

Bos, the employee. while I feel for him, did react contrary to his training.

[heights unknown]

Maybe they should install a bullet proof glass wall at the counters of all fast food restaurants to ensure employee safety, and/or have a security guard onsite (which doesn't guarantee security but it could hinder would be robbers and thugs from doing the unthinkable).

"HU"

[Overstreet]

...........Maybe they should install a bullet proof glass wall at the counters of all fast food restaurants to ensure employee safety, and/or have a security guard onsite (which doesn't guarantee security but it could hinder would be robbers and thugs from doing the unthinkable)..........."HU"....

Won't help you in the parking lot on the way to the bank. A similar thing happened to the owner of Gingas Kan, a Mongolian barbeque restaurant in Mandarin back in the early 90s. He was shot dead in the parking lot on the way to the bank.

[Sportmotor]

I worked a long time ago in a galxy far away at McDonalds, the only training we got was "give them the money" lol

I feel bad and this is horribly tragic, I hope the guy never sees the light of day again