Restaurant Worker Suspect in Pizzeria Parking Lot Murder

[mkt]

Restaurant Worker Suspect in Pizzeria Parking Lot Murder
10:20 p.m. EDT May 5, 2003

BUENA VISTA, FL (WFTV Channel 9 ABC) -- A pizza restaurant employee is suspected of a gruesome murder in an Orlando tourist hot spot.

Detectives sat 25 year old Erode Valcin was working at a Pizzeria Uno restaurant when attacked a woman leaving the parking lot around 7 PM Monday night.

Eyewitnesses report seeing Valcin run out of the restaurant as if he was chasing after her. When he caught up with her, police say he cut her throat and stabbed her multiple times.


The woman, whose name is not being released yet, was pronounced dead at nearby Sand Lake hospital. Dozens of tourists witnessed the crime just steps from Disney World.

Valcin was captured by a vacationing firefighter, he was moved to the back seat of a police car still wearing a t-shirt with the restaurant's logo.

 

[mkt]

fyi.. if anyone wonders why I posted this..

this crime occured at Crossroads... across the street from WDW, located in LBV, ie- DISNEY PROPERTY.

 

[Thrawn]

was pronounced dead at nearby Sand Lake hospital

This will only perpetuate the rumor that no one dies on Disney property.

 

[MicBat]

Yikes! That's scary!

 

[ArchiDanDisney]

Originally posted by Thrawn
was pronounced dead at nearby Sand Lake hospital

This will only perpetuate the rumor that no one dies on Disney property.

Its not a rumour...its Disney policy not to pronounce any one dead on property, they either have to wait untill they are officially off property, or pronounce by an MD rather than an EMS tech.

 

[fngoofy]

I think I am correct in saying that this did not happen on Disney property.

It happened across the street from the Hotel Plaza Blvd entrance to Disney (the entrance you would take if going to DTD.)

This is a tragic and creepy event. I only make the distinction between on and off property because this really doesn’t involve Disney other than that it happened near WDW.

Disney is not responsible for security in this part of Orlando, and has nothing to do with the restaurant where this god awful event took place.

Basically if this hadn’t happened near a WDW entrance and rather had happened a couple of miles down the road on OBT (Orange Blossom Trail) then this would just be another local evening news item (one of many in that town.)

 

[niteobsrvr]

Originally posted by fngoofy
I think I am correct in saying that this did not happen on Disney property.

It happened across the street from the Hotel Plaza Blvd entrance to Disney (the entrance you would take if going to DTD.)

This is a tragic and creepy event. I only make the distinction between on and off property because this really doesn’t involve Disney other than that it happened near WDW.

Disney is not responsible for security in this part of Orlando, and has nothing to do with the restaurant where this god awful event took place.

Basically if this hadn’t happened near a WDW entrance and rather had happened a couple of miles down the road on OBT (Orange Blossom Trail) then this would just be another local evening news item (one of many in that town.)

Actually, Disney owns the land Cross Roads Plaza occupies. Just as they own the land directly beneath the hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd. They don't make a big deal of it because it isn't directly related to their core business but it is theirs.

 

[gjpjtj]

The Downtown area is sure getting a bad reputation!

 

[Epcot is my fav]

Oh my thats horrible..........that area is getting a bad rep. and i like eating over there........

 

[MsSnuzi]

Man, what is this world coming to - people are out of control.

 

[WDWFanatic]

Isolated incident, they cought him, I think things will be alright.
Im sure this came from an altercation that happened inside. Maybe this guy knew the person he attacked.

 

[mkt]

fngoofy,

niteobsrvr was correct.... Disney is the Landlord there

 

[agdbeanie]

scary stuff

 

[PurpleFigment]

Am I the only one confused as to why this is a big deal? Someone was murdered near Disney World. Murders happen everywhere...and more murders happen in populated areas. This is nothing new. I'd be suprised if someone wasn't murdered in the vicinity of Disney World on a bi-weekly basis at least. I spend my whole day listening to police, fire and ambulance scanners in Houston. I can tell you places in this city where murders happen weekly...and I'd say only about 50% (maybe less) of the murders in Houston get reported on television. Maybe I'm just use to hearing about murders, but geesh, this isn't too shocking. If there's a sniper killing guests as they enter the property, that's a big deal. But one murder outside of the gates...that has no indications (according to this article) that it was related to a vacationing guest. For all we know it was the guy's girlfriend or someone else he knew. Afterall, a majority of murders are committed against someone the murderer knows (or recognizes) somehow....

 

[mkt]

yes murders happen all the time near Disney...

that's not the problem. This isn't a murder near Disney property. This is a murder on Disney property

 

[PurpleFigment]

OK, I still ask...what's the big deal? There's no indication (according to the posted article) that this is just a random vacationer some crazy guy killed. Chances are excellent (I'm not saying this is what happened, but chances are very high) that this person is someone the guy knew. It could have been a ex-girlfriend...a girl who broke up with him recently...a girl who could have said "I'm pregnant with your baby!"...a girl who turned him down for a date. Could have been someone who owed him money...or he owed money to. Could have been a drug deal gone bad. It could have been anything...I don't know what it was. But there are no indications (again, according to this article) that it was just a random killing.

Disney World is a huge place. It's not crime-free. It never has been and never will be. The place just has one of the greatest PR departments on the planet.

I ate at that exact Pizzaria Uno last Thursday night. I wasn't afraid then and I'm not afraid to go back. I would go back there tonight and not be scared.

 

[Al]

So a NO ONE has ever been declared dead on disney property?

BTW, that's awful what happened, it freaked me out !

 

[PurpleFigment]

Off-Duty Firefighter Captures Stabbing Suspect
Suspect May Have Been Dating Victim

POSTED: 10:57 a.m. EDT May 6, 2003
UPDATED: 10:59 a.m. EDT May 6, 2003

A Pizzeria Uno restaurant worker is behind bars accused of murder.

Erode Valcin, 26, allegedly stabbed a woman to death in the restaurant parking lot on Palm Parkway near Walt Disney World, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.

Valcin was captured by off-duty Miami firefighter George Ginzo. Witnesses said Ginzo grabbed his own gun out of his car and chased Valcin out of the restaurant, holding him at gunpoint until deputies arrived. Witnesses are calling him a hero.

<b>Investigators said the woman was a former restaurant employee. She and Valcin may have been dating. </b>



There ya go...it's domestic...suprise, suprise! No need to freak out, it's just your typical homicide. Back to Disney fun!

 

[EpcoTim]

Its terrible that it happened. But to the rest of us, who cares? Disney isnt turning into a killing ground. Its sure as hell not gangland, so why worry? Something happened between 2 people in their personal lives. Happens a thousand times a day in a thousand different places. No one was targeting tourists, or Disney employees. Whats the big deal? Why broadcast other peoples personal affairs, especially one as ugly as this. Its a sad, dark side of life. He was caught and will get his punishment. Its sad how people treat one another, but this happens everywhere. I hope whoever thinks this is a direct reflection on Disney stays away from Disney. Cheers....

 

[fngoofy]

MK,
I do make the distinction between "on Disney Property" and "on Disney owned land."

For those that don't know, Crossroads is basically a strip mall with Pizza Uno, Denny’s, the Sheraton Safari hotel is over near there I believe.

But, as far as I know, this is patrolled by Orange County police, and to any lay person looking at this area (which is not exactly near DTD, probably 1 mi away) it looks like non Disney, run of the mill cr@p.

I know this is hair splitting, but its news like this that gets passed on and by the time the 5th person hears it the story has morphed to “did you hear a Pirate went nuts in the Haunted House and killed a nun?”

My advice, three words….Stay On Propery.

Then you just have to worry about nuts with guns holding their kids hostage at the Boardwalk and shielding the kids eyes from the corpse of the “estranged-from-his-wife-non-swimmer" that has washed up on the shore of seven seas lagoon.

Oh, and watch out for suicidal CMs jumping from the Contemporary.

It’s a crazy world, but I’ll take a day at Disney over a day anywhere else, and I always will.