My Buddy Joe got shot

cheryl

I started this.
Staff member
Tooner, I'm so sorry about your friend...

I agree with trplnkl, your description of the situation would make an excellent letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
I met his uncle today. He says of course the whole family is devastated. His wife does not drive, some kind of seizures. He agreed about the media, but since they have not caught the shooter, that may be the reason why. They may not want to release any info that would give the shooter a heads up. As blackbox said it was a set up, and probably a stolen car so it will be hard to find him. Since the girl was involved hopefully she sees what kind of monster she is hanging out with, and turns him in. Other than that he will probaly never be caught. Lots of undercover, and law enforcement in the area today. I know they are undercover coz I can see down in the cars, and know what they all drive.
 
A

Anonymous gal

Guest
if these thugs wanna shoot someone and act all big and bad then get a new mayor because jay ain't doin crap about it he really thinks he's slick oh yea jay im calling u out since u ani't tha buddy* 2 call these thugs out i will jay u ain't nuthin but full of crap and im so tired of you i knew mr joe i went 2 kfc every week and he was very respectable u ain't did nothin you ain't nothin and you never gonna be nothing. i hope these police catch these thugs because it is getting out of hand. mr joe my prayers are sent to you and your family.
 
F

Friend

Guest
Thats what Im thinking too.
I still dont know why he would have had Money in the am, they dont open til 11, and wouldnt they have taken the receipts at night instead of leaving them there all weekend on Easter? I would assume they were closed on EASTER.
I thought maybe he was on the way home from the bank instead of on the way to, to get opening cash.
Im hoping the bank or KFC opens an account, he was well liked. If not guess Ill have to go talk to the bank or KFC or both. I cannot do it on route or I would. Lots of people upset, as you could guess. He was nice to everyone. His workers loved him. He was not just a "boss" they liked him. He was a friend.

I have heard that the guy who runs the KFC's is a straight up guy who would do anything for his people. Some Indian dude. I hope he does something for Joe. Joe was a cool dude.
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
I have been out of town since Thursday. So I dont know alot more, but A friend called me and told me they got the girl driving the car involved in the accident, so the perpetrator shouldnt be far behind. Joe is a regular Joe, nothing flashy, just down to earth, and I think he had the mentality that since he did nothing to anyone no one would ever try to hurt him. Sadly he was wrong. All I know is he was warm, friendly, jovial, and seemed to enjoy his workplace, and took pride in it. Although I dont know him well, I also deliver to his home, so I have the casual relationship you have with any customer you see regularly. I wish they would bring back the zero tolerance blitz, expecially when the weather is warming up, its badly needed. I actually dont know what the mayor is doing, he came into office offering "change" for the city, and started out strongly, and just kinda petered out. After 5 people were found shot to death in a drug house, he instituted, the zero tolerance, but it hurt local businesses, as people with expired tags, no licenses, warrants, all stayed home, so it was a safer place. All kinds of cash to spend but not on anything legal it seemed.
Thanks for all your support, I will pass it on to Joe as I can.
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
For anyone who cares to access.
KFC Robbery Victim
The saddest part of this whole story is what happened Joe Kaluza. He was the manager of a Kentucky Fried Chicken, going about his daily routine, when these people deliberately set him up, all for $300 bucks. Now, Joe Kaluza's in a Cleveland hospital, paralyzed from the neck down. "He was fun loving, a hard worker. Everybody loved him, kids adored him." states Joe's sister, Anna Fitzgerald.
But life as Joseph Kaluza and his family knew it changed Monday morning. The proud father of two handicapped children, Joseph is now left a paraplegic. The victim of this scheme caught on tape. Joesph was shot in the neck. The meager three hundred and six dollars he was set to deposit from the Kentucky Fried Chicken he managed...stolen from him.
"I hope they made good use of that money.", Joe's sister says he worked at the KFC on South Avenue for ten years. He had been robbed before, twice, but never thought something like this could happen.
"I was just hoping he would get out of that area, because of the robberies that had occurred. But no, I didn't have that fear because I didn't think about it.", explains Anna.
Doctors say Joseph will never walk again. "He still has the potential to go backwards. He is not out of the woods yet as terms of surviving whole episode. However, regaining function of his arms and legs is very, very poor." states Dr. John Como, with Cleveland Metro hospital.
Making a tough situation even tougher for Joseph's family.
"They have always struggled, but they have two children, a twenty-one year old who is mentally retarded and their twelve year old has challenges, so to add this to his wife's life is devastating. She is an excellent wife and one more thing to bear to the series of events they have had to incur."
As for those who did this to her brother...Anna says she is pleased that police were able to crack the case. "It still doesn't change the outcome of my brother. A lot of anger, I want to see what the outcome would be to them."
With all they're going through right now, the Kaluza family could use your financial help. If you would like to donate to help with their medical costs, you can do so at any Huntington Bank Branch. Just tell them you'd like to give to the Joseph Kaluza fund.
There are several videos/all heartbreaking
 
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toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
Alleged KFC triggerman charged with another crime






Published:Thursday, April 3, 2008
BOARDMAN — The man Youngstown police say was the triggerman in the armed robbery last week of a KFC manager has been charged with another crime in the township.
Township police charged Taran Helms, 22, West Hylda Avenue, Youngstown, Wednesday with attempted robbery.
A 38-year-old woman reported on Dec. 23 that a man had tried to steal her purse. Police later identified Helms as the man.
The woman told police that the man approached her from behind as she was getting into her car, telling her to move over in her car. When she refused, he grabbed her face so that she couldn’t scream.
Two other women saw the scuffle and pulled the man off of the victim. The man dropped the woman’s purse when he fell, got up and fled.
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
Alleged KFC triggerman charged with another crime






Published:Thursday, April 3, 2008
BOARDMAN — The man Youngstown police say was the triggerman in the armed robbery last week of a KFC manager has been charged with another crime in the township.
Township police charged Taran Helms, 22, West Hylda Avenue, Youngstown, Wednesday with attempted robbery.
A 38-year-old woman reported on Dec. 23 that a man had tried to steal her purse. Police later identified Helms as the man.
The woman told police that the man approached her from behind as she was getting into her car, telling her to move over in her car. When she refused, he grabbed her face so that she couldn’t scream.
Two other women saw the scuffle and pulled the man off of the victim. The man dropped the woman’s purse when he fell, got up and fled.
I wish one of the woman had a gun.
Taran would not ( and should not ) see the light of day when he turned 23.
Now, he will live with 3 hots and a cot for several decades and be released back into the public.
Those two woman should be praised and given some kind of public honor.
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
I agree. Must be a real macho man, getting his a** kicked by 2 women.
Just to think if he gets 25 yrs, he can be a 47 yr old thug on the street.
 

DS

Fenderbender
Thanks for the update tooner,its great to see Joe still has a sense of humor after all he's been through. It's great to see that he's again living some semblance of a normal life.I still cant see how anyone could be callous enough to do what they did to him and I hope he gets shivved and bleeds to death in his cell before they let him out, the piece of crap that he is.
 

Upslady20

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the update on your friend. It is so nice when the community comes together and helps someone in need. It is such a shame such a horrible thing happened to such a good person. I am glad he has such a great support system.
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
He tried recently to get out on bond, and his lawyer said "he has degree in auto mechanics, he will live with a sister, and he will be available for trial, yada, yada"
The Prosecution said (in summation) "he is a thug, with no known address, living out of a car, when it happened, there is overwhelming dna evidence and he needs to rot in his cell" Thank God justice won.
The girl is out with a fancy ankle bracelet. The pic they displayed in the paper was one where she was attractive, young, smiling, vibrant..just a girl who couldnt pay her rent. And never knew anyone would get hurt, (yet she is supposedly an honor student at YSU) didnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that someone may get hurt, duh. So she will probably only get, if she gets anything 5 yrs.
What is disturbing to me is that, the picture of her in jail, is one of a crackhead, a big fat, monster. But they want to post her high school pic in the local papers. I hope they all rot in jail, and then in hell.

A productive family man with two mentally challenged children, now disabled for life. Seems easy to me, if they want someone to pull the lever, I would jump, and crowd the line to get to the front. And fry the *******.
JMHO
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
The circumstances were awful, but the programs started because of it are great. All residents should seek out these places and support the cause.
 

Work right slow and safe

Well-Known Member
did you see in the paper about the ups feeder driver that got shot in TX he was pulling into the hub after driving all day and a car pulled up to him and shot him in the back in the truck
 
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