Thread: Haitian national charged with murdering restaurant owner in Florida

Haitian national charged with murdering restaurant owner in Florida



booking photo
Dave Gibson
Immigration Reform Examiner

March 18, 2014

On Thursday, Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies arrested Tilus Lebrun, 42, after he reportedly stabbed his boss, 62-year-old Dimitrios Karaloukas several times in what has been described by witnesses as a completely unprovoked act of violence.

Karaloukas, who was affectionately known as "Jimmy the Greek," sustained three deep stab wounds to his left side, as well as one in his back.

The owner of the Jimmy the Greek Taverna in Boca Raton was sitting at a table chatting with guests, when Lebrun charged and began slashing at him with a meat cleaver.

Karaloukas was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead within an hour of his arrival.

Another, as yet unidentified restaurant worker was also stabbed in the attack. He remains in critical condition at this time.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they found Lebrun standing across the street from the restaurant, still holding the large bloody knife.

As for a motive...

http://www.examiner.com/article/hait...-owner-florida

Popular Boca Raton restaurant owner stabbed to death by employee, authorities say


A sign on the door at the Jimmy the Greek Taverna in Boca Raton, where a dispute between three employees Thursday night left one man dead, another injured. (Jorge Milian/The Palm Beach Post)

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Dimitrios Karaloukas, the owner of Jimmy the Greek Taverna, died from his injuries less than an hour later at Delray Medical Center.

Tilus Lebrun

Jimmy the Greek Taverna in Boca Raton, where a dispute between three employees Thursday night left one man dead, another injured. (Jorge Milian/The Palm Beach Post)

By Jorge Milian and Hannah Winston
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
BOCA RATON —

Jimmy the Greek helped everyone he knew, even the man who allegedly stabbed him to death.

Sarantis Monemvasitis, a server at Jimmy the Greek Taverna, recalled walking into Dimitrios Karaloukas’s restaurant in Boca Raton five years ago asking for a job. Karaloukas, known as “Jimmy,” gave him a job on the spot.

Three months ago, Jimmy did the same for Tilus Lebrun, even though they didn’t have any openings. But authorities say Lebrun stabbed his boss several times Thursday night with what Monemvasitis called “the longest knife” in the kitchen.

Lebrun, 42, faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. At a first appearance hearing Friday, Judge Caroline Shepherd ordered Lebrun be held without bail at the Palm Beach County Jail.

Karaloukas, 62, died from his injuries at Delray Medical Center less than an hour after the attack. Another unidentified employee in the kitchen was also stabbed and taken to the hospital but “is expected to pull through,” a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said.

Lebrun, of Pompano Beach, told deputies he stabbed his boss in the restaurant because his boss took a photo of him and posted it on the Internet, according the arrest report.

About a dozen employees and friends were consoling each other outside Friday morning of the restaurant, on Glades Road west of Florida’s Turnpike and the city limits, where a handwritten sign was taped to the front door that read: “Jimmy the Greek closed temporarily due to a family emergency.”

A few of those mourning spoke with The Palm Beach Post and gave a timeline of the night’s events

Just before 8 p.m. Thursday, employees say Lebrun was in the kitchen with another dishwasher when they heard screaming.

An unidentified Spanish male who works at the restaurant was stabbed and later taken to Delray Medical Center. According to the arrest report, he had life-saving surgery and remained in critical condition that night.

It is unknown why he was allegedly stabbed by Lebrun.

The next thing employees knew, Lebrun rushed out of the kitchen into the dining area of the restaurant where Jimmy was sitting among other employees and customers. With an hour left until they would close, the restaurant was full, according to employees there that night.

According to the arrest report, Lebrun stabbed Karaloukas with a large knife three times in his side and once in the back.

Karaloukas then got up and rushed outside like others in shock.

“He didn’t know what hit him,” Monemvasitis said. “He never had a chance to protect himself.”

Deputies found Lebrun across the street from the Piccadilly Square shopping plaza the restaurant calls home, still in his black apron with the knife in hand.

None of the employees that spoke with the Post knew why the dishwasher went after their boss. Monemvasitis said Lebrun had worked at the restaurant for about three months.

Lebrun told deputies Karaloukas took a photo of him March 2 and posted it on the Internet. Details about the offending photo were not immediately available, but according to the arrest report, Lebrun said his coworkers need to “learn how to respect people.”

Connie Thomas, who works next door to the restaurant at Jonathan Edwards Salon, said Karaloukas was a “jolly” guy. She said she she saw him the night he was killed and the two made plans to have coffee later.

“He was the nicest man. You could just talk with him and kid with him,” she said.

Monemvasitis said Karaloukas leaves behind a wife, two stepdaughters and grandchildren.

Lebrun has no criminal history in Florida other than a handful of traffic violations. He told Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies he has three children in Haiti and knows they will suffer because of what he has done.

“But they will survive,” he said.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/BocaRaton/nfCxp/

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