Carjacking, Ricky’s Shirts, Corney The Clown, Etc.
A tourist from New York got a rude surprise Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25 at 12:15 a.m. when he was carjacked in the Aventura mall.
By Phyllis D. Huguenin
Contributing Writer
Ricky Wear?
Ask Warren Henry Zinn, Aventura resident and CEO/President of Warren Henry Automobiles. Rumor has it that Miami Dolphin Ricky Williams, who signed an exclusive
endorsement deal with Warren Henry dealership of North Dade, may just come out with his own line of shirts. Ever since seeing Warren’s 16 year-old son Larry wearing a mechanic’s shirt with
has name on right side and the WH logo on the left, Ricky has fallen in love with them and has had about five of his own made up which he wears constantly. Everybody is asking about them
so much so that Warren is considering creating a merchandising line featuring the shirts – with part of the proceeds going to Ricky’s charity, the Ricky Williams Foundation (www.rickywilliamsfoundation.org).
In The Line of Fire
Decided to go down into the trenches to bring you an informal bird’s eye view of Christmas Eve happenings in Aventura mall. Usually
park near Sears because it’s easier to find a spot. What is it about parking lots that bring out the worst in people, X-Mas or not? The predictable parking lot politics were at play.
People are such space hogs. The adjacent Dodge Dakota truck made sure I’d have to work a bit, it was parked slightly perpendicular, blocking the small space available, so I had to
maneuver several times to fit.
Clown Delights
“Corney the Clown” (real name is Robert Settles) grew up in St. Louis and has worked as a clown for 8 years. He is a staple in the mall and has a lot of regular
visitors like Irina and Michael who with their two kids stop by whenever they happen to be in the area. Kirk, 40ish (one of Corney's steady customers), was on a mission of mercy, picking
up an armful of assorted balloon animals and hearts for Jackson Memorial hospital Ryder Trauma center. He is especially introspective and altruistic this season because his wife is in the
hospital. He usually gives the balloons to the head nurses to hand out. It was a joy to watch the kids, eyes wide in wonderment when they received their fantastic balloon creations.
Jakerria, cute as a button, chose a pink and purple helmet with a big pink heart that balanced giddily on her forehead. Corney uses an inflator to blow up a tube-shaped balloon, which
takes about 40 seconds. His fingers then perform a series of deft twists and turns skillfully creating wheels, ears, crowns, animal shapes etc. for his little fans. The balloons will last
about 4 days if you take care of them. He does this full time, although he doesn’t draw a salary, relying on whatever tips parents are willing to donate. He has 7 children of his own,
ranging in age from 5 to 23 years old. Corney speaks fluent Spanish (his wife is Costa Rican). This is reassuring to his diverse audience which includes a lot of Latin Americans. Los
niños approach gingerly, creeping ever closer, and once Corney smiles and fires off a sentence or two in their language they are hooked. Though most of his rapt fans are 5 years old
and under, Corney loves it when teenagers come by. A former missionary, it does his heart good to see young adults who are still children at heart. He sends Michelle, 17, and Trevor, 18,
on their way with his-and-her Lion King crowns.
Mall Samplings
Stuart Kryshka, store manager of The Sharper Image, reports that business was excellent, phenomenal in fact. Up about 14 percent from last year. He concludes that
their unique product line probably contributed to the success.
The jewelry store Baily, Banks and Biddle had similar good news. A salesperson declared “business way up today and I am tired.”
The assistant manager of the upscale shoe store Balizza which carries the Salvatore Ferragamo and Bruno Magli brands reports business is down about 20 percent. People
are looking for bargains and many of the customers who hail from Mexico aren’t here this year.
Dell Computers has instituted a pilot program involving placing kiosks in selected malls – six in South Florida. A salesperson I spoke to asserted that sales for
December have increased by 50 percent. However this Christmas Eve they sold just one desktop. The goal is three per day.
Two managers of the Cheesecake Factory restaurant which was open until 11:30 p.m. that day agreed business has been steady and up 4 to 5 percent from last year. In the
evening they started handing out pumpkin cheesecake samples to passersby. They were delicious.
Even though she took a financial beating this year, Selina is all smiles and still cheery at the end of the day. Strategically located near Christmas caroler’s stage
setup, this pushcart vendor features Evelyn’s Collection. Handcrafted, limited edition porcelain dolls ranging in price from $9.95 to $29.95. This was her first entrepreneurial venture.
Originally from Malaysia, she has lived in Miami for the past 3 years and constantly shops at Aventura Mall. After doing a little research, she decided to open her own business and wound
up spending approximately $40,000 for product, rent and supplies. So far she’s not broken even.
Christmas Day Carjacking
A tourist from New York got a rude surprise Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, at 12:15 a.m. when he was carjacked in Aventura Mall’s parking lot. Steven Shear,
55, of Brooklyn, N.Y. was walking to his rental car parked near Sears when an unidentified black male subject appearing to be in his 20s approached him from behind, ordering him to open
the door. Mr. Shear turned to see a black handgun in the assailant’s hand. The subject forced him into his car and together they drove away. At approximately 207th Street and
the 2400 block of Ives Dairy Road, Mr. Shear struggled for the gun and it went off, luckily not hitting anyone. He was able to wrestle the gun away from the carjacker and throw it out the
passenger side window. He then escaped from the car and got assistance from a nearby resident who called the police. The police drove him around to try and locate the missing firearm. A
black pellet gun (which looked like .45 caliber handgun), part of it broken and lying in the street suggesting it had been thrown, was located in a grass swale area near an elementary
school.
Bar Ruckus
On Thursday, December 19 at 1:20 a.m., the Havana Cigar Bar at 18833 Biscayne Blvd. was the scene of an altercation and the alleged macing of one of the participants
by persons unknown. Bar owner Vito Viscito told police that patron Miguel Vargas caused a disturbance, at one point shouting that he would “shoot everyone.” Escorted out, along with
Michael David Daigle, they were subsequently attacked, someone punched Daigle in the mouth causing heavy bleeding and sprayed Vargas with pepper spray. The two could not positively
identify their attackers and refused medical treatment. While the officers were investigating this incident, they noticed that a “craps” table was set up in the bar, dice were being thrown
and patrons were wagering chips at the table. Also noticed: two Blackjack tables were set up and cards were being dealt. When the officer inquired of “Vito,” he was told it was a private
party and that the patrons weren’t playing for money; that the chips were turned in at the end of the night with no compensation given. According to the police report, this establishment
has been cited and warned in the past by the State of Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT) for having gaming implements. Since the officer saw no actual money changing
hands, though, he merely documented his observations and forwarded them on.
Bank Caper
The Wachovia Bank at 2925 Aventura Blvd. was the scene of an alleged grand theft, more specifically from a bank vault safety deposit box. Marilyn Gale Bernard reported
on December 19 at 2:40 p.m. that her antique horseshoe diamond pin was missing from her box when she visited it on December 13, 2002. At that time she had informed the bank manager who
told her that in November 2002 they had restructured the safety deposit boxes, the walls were adjusted to fit more boxes. He assured her nothing had been moved. The bank was supposed to
call her with an incident report, and since by the 19th had not heard from them, she was requesting a police report on the theft. In the report the victim stated she was the
only one who has keys to the box and that she could not recall her last previous visit, but that the box had been moved since that time. Case cards were issued to Ms. Bernard and the bank
manager. She was also advised to call her insurance company and inform the corporate bank office.
Bobcat Misfortune
A construction accident occurred on December 18 at 12:19 p.m. on the roadway near 21100 Yacht Club Drive. Mr. Clifford Moncrieffe, 62, had his left foot crushed and
partly amputated when the Bobcat x320 he was maneuvering tipped over and landed on him.
