Posted on 09/03/2007 10:07:16 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A 40-year-old Denny's waitress was fatally stabbed in the neck and chest in front of dozens of customers and children at the tourist-filled International Drive restaurant, according to police.
Witnesses said the victim was met by her boyfriend Alejandro Casa, 47, Sunday night in the lobby area of the restaurant located at 7660 International Drive and Sand Lake Road.
Casa approached her and then repeatedly stabbed her with a steak knife before being chased out of the restaurant by other employees, according to witnesses.
Casa dropped the knife and lost a shoe as he fled the scene, police said.
"(The victim) was an employee and she was working on the floor when a Hispanic man walked in and attacked her viciously and intentionally," Orange County sheriff's Capt. Steve Lang said. "When he finished the attack, he was chased out of the restaurant by several people. He got away from those folks. We set up a perimeter but so far, we have not found him yet."
The homicide comes during a crime wave at Orlando's tourist spots, WKMG-TV reported.
Tourists said they were shocked to see the stabbing.
"I had dinner last night here and the lady who got killed was the woman who served my wife and I," Orlando tourist Juan Luis said.
"Even in England we have our problems but unfortunately there is a lot of violence and things like that going on," tourist Karen Wilkins said.
Police did not release the name of the victim because they said they were concerned about her children. Deputies said her children were missing late Sunday.
Investigators also said the victim recently obtained a restraining order against Casa but it had not been served.
Anyone with information concerning this crime is urged to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Swedish? Hmong? Pacific Islander? Lithuanian?
Really??
Beelzebubba, you got this one absolutley wrong. I’m starting the
process of getting a permit. There’s more involved than just asking for one.
England's violent crime rate has gone up recently, while that of the US has gone down. Not sure which is in the lead at the moment. In both countries, violence is pretty geographically limited.
You're a lot more likely to be stabbed in UK, despite their banning of scary-looking "assault knives" than in the US.
However, you're a LOT more likely to be shot in the US than in the UK. Since guns are more efficient tools for murder than knives, the US is still well in the lead for murder rate. But UK and much of Europe is catching up.
UK definitely leads the US in many crime categories, notably burglary and petty theft.
Direct comparisons are tricky because of different methodologies in calculating the crime rates.
WTF are you talking about?
Too bad the honest, law-abiding tourists who arrived via airplane were disarmed before they even arrived.
grrrrrhhhh
Maybe THIS guy wasn't an illegal alien, but..........BUILD THE DARN FENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Forget your meds today? People are posting facts, not supporting racism.
Could you point out the racist comments?
Yeah, what are you talking about? Altura Ct. never said anything racist, and I’M TALKING ABOUT WHAT I HEAR ON THE NEWS, and that I’m TIRED OF IT!
Probably happened very fast with no warning. Most people are not capable of responding to such instant violence. You could probably walk into 100 Denny’s and do the same thing with the same result. Hench - have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
EveningStar, you’re way off on this one.
You jumped the gun throwing out the Race rant.
Don't know about all violent crime, but their murder rate is about 1/3 of the USA.
I suspecting Star is talking about the comments blaming the fact that the murder happened on the suspect’s presumed race or ethnicity.
Unless you similarly blame any murder committed by a white, blue-eyed rural southerner on his race or ethnicity, then discussion of ethnic background is usually just irrelevant.
There are exception, of course. “Honor” killings, racially motivated attacks such as the recent murders in Knosville and NJ, and others.
But the vast majority of murders are committed for the same reasons regardless of race of victim or perp.
Whether the perp was an illegal immigrant, and therefore shouldn’t have been in the country at all, is a separate question entirely, and again of itself has nothing to do with race. An illegal immigrant is an illegal immigrant, whether from Mexico, Mauretania or Montenegro.
1. Hispanic does not automatically equal illegal alien. This is in Florida so there’s a chance he could be Cuban and therefore legal.
2. The last time I checked, it wasn’t uncommon for domestic disputes in all races and ethnic groups to explode into violence.
I haven’t been able to get packing.org in nearly a month. Do you know what’s going on there?
Deny it if you will, there is a MegaTrend afoot in America involving ‘Illegals and crimes committed’ thereby and forgive some for jumping to conclusions in our own heads before you openly questioned the thread so far and delivered a preemptive strike of your own..
Ignore it or gloss it over for whatever reason, the local authorities and news source used Hispanic,, bad on them.. Go figure.
Oh, and you are correct, domestic disputes do happen , Oh do I know.. ;-)
Well you are a regular buzz kill.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.