SAD NEWS FOR THE HOLIDAYS...
What you are about to read is from my nephew's hometown paper. The boy that was killed was my nephew. My favorite nephew. He always had big dreams and great hope for the future. I will miss him SO much...
Merry Fucking Christmas!
Windsor shooting victim 'loved being a dad'
'He was just a really good person'
Dave Battagello and Sonja Puzic
The Windsor Star
Saturday, December 22, 2007
CREDIT: Facebook
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street Saturday. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police. In this undated Facebook photo, he is pictured with his 19-month old son Jaevian.
CREDIT: Facebook
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police. His shooter is still at large.
CREDIT: Photo courtesy of Cierra Ingram
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street Saturday. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police. In this undated photo, he is pictured with his 19-month old son Jaevian.
CREDIT: Photo courtesy of Cierra Ingram
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street Saturday. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police.
CREDIT: Photo courtesy of Cierra Ingram
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street Saturday. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police.
A Windsor father of a young child was shot and killed early Saturday morning outside a downtown bar in an area known for after-hours violence.
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police.
The shooter remains at large and police have not yet been able to release a suspect description. Detectives worked around the clock Saturday, collecting evidence from the scene, interviewing witnesses and looking at surveillance camera images that may have captured the incident. A handgun, believed to have been used in the shooting, was recovered from the roof of a nearby building.
Det. Mark Denonville said it's possible more than one person was involved in the incident. Police hope to have more information Sunday.
Acosta-Escobar's devastated family members were scrambling to return to Windsor this weekend and make funeral arrangements, said Cierra Ingram, 20, the godmother of Acosta-Escobar's 19-month old son Jaevian and a close friend.
Acosta-Escobar's mother and stepfather were visiting relatives in Panama and his sister was in France at the time of the shooting, Ingram said. His father was also out of the country.
"He loved being with his friends and his family. He took that really seriously," said Ingram, who has known Acosta-Escobar since grade school. Acosta-Escobar is also the godfather of her child.
"He loved being a dad," she said. "He was just a really good person. He was always so happy...You always got big hugs and big kisses when you saw Louie. He was like a teddy bear."
Ingram said she was at the Box Office with Acosta-Escobar and some other friends Friday night and left "about five minutes" before he was shot in the wee hours Saturday.
After getting a phone call about the commotion outside the bar, Ingram said she returned to find out her friend was shot. She rushed to Hotel-Dieu, where Acosta-Escobar succumbed to his injuries.
He also leaves behind his girlfriend Talea, Jaevian's mother, and two step-sisters.
Ingram said she didn't know what led to the shooting.
"I don't know if he tried to break up a fight or if it was an accident," she said. "I don't know if (the shooter) was an enemy for a long time, but maybe for a moment ... so I really can't comment on that."
The shooting occurred in front of the residence of well-known hairstylist Dani Bobb at 551 Pelissier, next-door to the bar. A large pool of blood was visible on his front sidewalk.
Bobb linked the after-hours operations at the Box Office bar -- often open until 5 a.m. -- to the violence.
"The later the bars stay open, the more the hassle," said Bobb, whose hair salon is down the street. "Business is business, but you have to look at public safety. When it's right in front of your house, it's time to do something."
Acosta-Escobar's death is the fourth shooting incident within a block of the area in recent years.
A plaque on the wall of the Box Office -- just metres away from where Acosta-Escobar was shot -- honours the memory of Brian Bolyantu who was shot dead nearby on March 24, 2003. This summer, a 25-year-old Michigan man was shot during an altercation at the southwest corner of Wyandotte and Pelissier streets. He survived.
Local artist Christian Aldo who resides close to the bar in the former YMCA building said he was lying in bed watching a DVD when the shooting started.
"I heard about four shots. It was bang, bang, bang, bang -- spread equally apart. It was loud, incredibly loud."
Aldo said he went to his first-floor window, which fronts on Pelissier and saw three males "walking away at a mellow pace."
He yelled at them, but was ignored: "It could have been them. Police reacted right away after that. They were instantly on it."
Long-time hair studio owner Alice McBlane, located for 20 years on Pelissier across the street from the Box Office, was not surprised by the shooting, but said she has no fears herself since violence is limited to early morning hours among bar crowds.
"I'm not walking downtown at that time of night -- are you?" she said.
"As I'm standing here talking to you, I look at the (Bolyantu) plaque. I look at that every day and I say 'who would want to go to that bar?' Nothing happens at the stores. I would ask people to close down that bar.
"I don't see any reason for this kind of thing. This is sad."
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario bans liquor sales after 2 a.m. and requires drinks be cleared from tables by 2:45 a.m. AGCO does not prevent bars from staying open if they do not serve alcohol.
The issue of downtown after-hours clubs, such as the Box Office, created controversy just last Monday at city council which was being asked to impose a 3 a.m. mandatory closing time by the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association.
Councillors after a heated debate instead asked for a report from police and others on the idea of mandatory closing times.
"This issue (of after-hours bars) is in front of council," said Bobb. "Wake up and come on people. We need to close the bars at 3.
"Nothing (dangerous) happens to my clientele, but they take this back with them and tell everyone. Then you wonder why the reputation of downtown gets across the city."
Paul Twigg, owner of nearby Lazare's Fine Coats and Jackets, said the shooting death should be the final straw that puts an end to after-hours clubs.
"For anyone, who doesn't think (an after-hours ban) is right, they should go to the morgue and visit this kid.
"Once bars close, they can't serve alcohol. How much money can they make on fruit juice? Is it really worth it? If they are serving something outside that, then they are breaking the law.
"We need to send a message this isn't acceptable. It's time to address this."
Larry Horwitz, downtown business association president, immediately went to the scene early Saturday after merchants called him about the shooting.
"I'm very angry. very frustrated. I just went to council and asked them to close at 3 a.m.," he said. "I was told there are no problems and I was being a bit sensational.
"Where is the vision of a safe, secure family-friendly downtown where there are steps taken to make that happen? Why am I having to talk to you a day after another murder or shooting?
"There have been no proactive steps taken to make this not happen. The amount of business we just lost for every daytime merchant or good bar owner is immense.
"I expected the worst and obviously the worst happened. But I expected that a few weeks ago, months or years ago. If nothing changes I can predict it will happen again."
© The Windsor Star 2007
'He was just a really good person'
Dave Battagello and Sonja Puzic
The Windsor Star
Saturday, December 22, 2007
CREDIT: Facebook
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street Saturday. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police. In this undated Facebook photo, he is pictured with his 19-month old son Jaevian.
CREDIT: Facebook
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police. His shooter is still at large.
CREDIT: Photo courtesy of Cierra Ingram
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street Saturday. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police. In this undated photo, he is pictured with his 19-month old son Jaevian.
CREDIT: Photo courtesy of Cierra Ingram
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street Saturday. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police.
CREDIT: Photo courtesy of Cierra Ingram
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street Saturday. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police.
A Windsor father of a young child was shot and killed early Saturday morning outside a downtown bar in an area known for after-hours violence.
Luis Acosta-Escobar, 20, was shot in the chest around 4:30 a.m. outside the Box Office Sports Bar on Pelissier Street. He was rushed to Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital where he died around 5:10 a.m., according to police.
The shooter remains at large and police have not yet been able to release a suspect description. Detectives worked around the clock Saturday, collecting evidence from the scene, interviewing witnesses and looking at surveillance camera images that may have captured the incident. A handgun, believed to have been used in the shooting, was recovered from the roof of a nearby building.
Det. Mark Denonville said it's possible more than one person was involved in the incident. Police hope to have more information Sunday.
Acosta-Escobar's devastated family members were scrambling to return to Windsor this weekend and make funeral arrangements, said Cierra Ingram, 20, the godmother of Acosta-Escobar's 19-month old son Jaevian and a close friend.
Acosta-Escobar's mother and stepfather were visiting relatives in Panama and his sister was in France at the time of the shooting, Ingram said. His father was also out of the country.
"He loved being with his friends and his family. He took that really seriously," said Ingram, who has known Acosta-Escobar since grade school. Acosta-Escobar is also the godfather of her child.
"He loved being a dad," she said. "He was just a really good person. He was always so happy...You always got big hugs and big kisses when you saw Louie. He was like a teddy bear."
Ingram said she was at the Box Office with Acosta-Escobar and some other friends Friday night and left "about five minutes" before he was shot in the wee hours Saturday.
After getting a phone call about the commotion outside the bar, Ingram said she returned to find out her friend was shot. She rushed to Hotel-Dieu, where Acosta-Escobar succumbed to his injuries.
He also leaves behind his girlfriend Talea, Jaevian's mother, and two step-sisters.
Ingram said she didn't know what led to the shooting.
"I don't know if he tried to break up a fight or if it was an accident," she said. "I don't know if (the shooter) was an enemy for a long time, but maybe for a moment ... so I really can't comment on that."
The shooting occurred in front of the residence of well-known hairstylist Dani Bobb at 551 Pelissier, next-door to the bar. A large pool of blood was visible on his front sidewalk.
Bobb linked the after-hours operations at the Box Office bar -- often open until 5 a.m. -- to the violence.
"The later the bars stay open, the more the hassle," said Bobb, whose hair salon is down the street. "Business is business, but you have to look at public safety. When it's right in front of your house, it's time to do something."
Acosta-Escobar's death is the fourth shooting incident within a block of the area in recent years.
A plaque on the wall of the Box Office -- just metres away from where Acosta-Escobar was shot -- honours the memory of Brian Bolyantu who was shot dead nearby on March 24, 2003. This summer, a 25-year-old Michigan man was shot during an altercation at the southwest corner of Wyandotte and Pelissier streets. He survived.
Local artist Christian Aldo who resides close to the bar in the former YMCA building said he was lying in bed watching a DVD when the shooting started.
"I heard about four shots. It was bang, bang, bang, bang -- spread equally apart. It was loud, incredibly loud."
Aldo said he went to his first-floor window, which fronts on Pelissier and saw three males "walking away at a mellow pace."
He yelled at them, but was ignored: "It could have been them. Police reacted right away after that. They were instantly on it."
Long-time hair studio owner Alice McBlane, located for 20 years on Pelissier across the street from the Box Office, was not surprised by the shooting, but said she has no fears herself since violence is limited to early morning hours among bar crowds.
"I'm not walking downtown at that time of night -- are you?" she said.
"As I'm standing here talking to you, I look at the (Bolyantu) plaque. I look at that every day and I say 'who would want to go to that bar?' Nothing happens at the stores. I would ask people to close down that bar.
"I don't see any reason for this kind of thing. This is sad."
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario bans liquor sales after 2 a.m. and requires drinks be cleared from tables by 2:45 a.m. AGCO does not prevent bars from staying open if they do not serve alcohol.
The issue of downtown after-hours clubs, such as the Box Office, created controversy just last Monday at city council which was being asked to impose a 3 a.m. mandatory closing time by the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association.
Councillors after a heated debate instead asked for a report from police and others on the idea of mandatory closing times.
"This issue (of after-hours bars) is in front of council," said Bobb. "Wake up and come on people. We need to close the bars at 3.
"Nothing (dangerous) happens to my clientele, but they take this back with them and tell everyone. Then you wonder why the reputation of downtown gets across the city."
Paul Twigg, owner of nearby Lazare's Fine Coats and Jackets, said the shooting death should be the final straw that puts an end to after-hours clubs.
"For anyone, who doesn't think (an after-hours ban) is right, they should go to the morgue and visit this kid.
"Once bars close, they can't serve alcohol. How much money can they make on fruit juice? Is it really worth it? If they are serving something outside that, then they are breaking the law.
"We need to send a message this isn't acceptable. It's time to address this."
Larry Horwitz, downtown business association president, immediately went to the scene early Saturday after merchants called him about the shooting.
"I'm very angry. very frustrated. I just went to council and asked them to close at 3 a.m.," he said. "I was told there are no problems and I was being a bit sensational.
"Where is the vision of a safe, secure family-friendly downtown where there are steps taken to make that happen? Why am I having to talk to you a day after another murder or shooting?
"There have been no proactive steps taken to make this not happen. The amount of business we just lost for every daytime merchant or good bar owner is immense.
"I expected the worst and obviously the worst happened. But I expected that a few weeks ago, months or years ago. If nothing changes I can predict it will happen again."
© The Windsor Star 2007
R.I.P. Luis Fernando, Te Quiero Mucho~!
Labels: my boy
posted by Big Mama at 11:08 AM
13 Comments:
I'm so sorry to hear about this tragedy. You will be in my prayers. And although I know my comment sounds cliche know that I write it with sincerity.
Thank you, it means a lot to me.
I am so, SO sorry. I'm completely dumbfounded. When I think about anything bad happening to my Niece, I get physically ill, so I cannot even begin to put my sympathies into words. Other than...I'm sorry and my thoughts are with you and the entire family.
Thanks Sooz. I have been a basket case and I ache. I loved this boy like he was my own son. Thank you so much for you thoughts, they mean a lot to me.
I'm sorry to hear of this tragedy. We'll keep you guys in our thoughts. Please give our condolences to the kids and C-Daddy too.
Oh man, we just got home from the lake and I saw this.
I'm sorry! What a horrible, horrible thing to have happen. We're thinking about ya.
Love ya
Horrible news at any time - but especially at Christmas. My deepest sympathies.
I am so so sorry. you have my sympathies for your and your family's tragic loss.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Big Mam, I am so sorry for your loss. Words seem so inadequate.
Hugs, and let me know if you need anything - I'm up in the ATL.
kat
I am so sorry for your loss. I know words are not always much of a comfort, but please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers (as well as the rest of your family).
Thank you everyone. He really meant the world to me. Knowing you all are there and that you care is what I need right now.
I have no idea what to say, except that I am so sorry. Reading the stories, one feels so disconnected, but the photos and your blog puts a very personal face on this.
Peace to you and your family during this difficult time.
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