Taco Bell employee shot dead at South LA restaurant's drive-through window

LOS ANGELES - An employee at a Taco Bell in South Los Angeles was shot dead by a man who tried to pay for his meal with a counterfeit bill at the restaurant's drive-through window, authorities said Sunday.

Police were dispatched around 11 p.m. Saturday to the 9900 block of Avalon Boulevard, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Division.

The victim, a 41-year-old man, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene, Eisenman said.

According to police, the employee declined to take counterfeit funds and the suspect opened fire. Another victim from within the business had stab wounds and was transported to a local hospital. It is unknown how the victim was stabbed. 

On Tuesday, LAPD Chief Michel Moore revealed a suspect connected to the shooting has been taken into custody. The suspect is being held on a $2 million bail, Moore said.

VICTIM REMEMBERED BY FAMILY MEMBERS

Family members identified the victim as 41-year-old Alejandro Garcia.

Nancy Del Sol, said her cousin was working the evening shift with his 19-year-old son when the shooting happened.

"The way that he died in front of his son, it was a really traumatic experience for my nephew," said Del Sol.

Garcia reportedly passed away in his son's arms. Del Sol said the shooting followed a disagreement over a counterfeit bill. A man approached the drive-thru window where Garcia was working and tried to pay for his food with a counterfeit bill.

"When he didn't want to take the bill, I guess they got upset and started shooting. My nephew was close by so he closed the window but the shots went in and he [Garcia] got shot in the heart and that's what killed him and he died there in front of his son's presence and it's something that will be hard for my nephew to get over," said Del Sol.

Garcia was a father of three. His youngest child is three years old.

"He was a hardworking man, a family man and for him just to die, it's just horrible," said Del Sol.

His other cousin, Corina Garcia Demeza, also spoke Sunday evening about the shooting that killed her loved one, demanding justice.

"I'm because I want justice. I want justice for the family. I want justice for everybody in the community so these people won't be out there killing people for just simply doing their job," said Garcia Demeza.

Garcia Demeza said her cousin was simply following training protocols.  

"You don't take bills that are fake and he died just doing simply what he was told to, just doing his job," she said.

She said the family urges police to find the person or people responsible for the shooting.

"We want the police to find the killers. We're not gonna stop until we find the killers and if I have to go every day to the detective's office and talk, I will talk every day until they find them," said Garcia Demeza.

A co-worker of Garcia's who did not want to be identified said she is fearful following the shooting.

"You [the suspect] got us looking over our backs and it just doesn't make sense to me. I'm just really hurt," she said.

She described Garcia as a wonderful colleague who was a joy to be around.

"I just love him. I love his humor, positivity, and hard work. It was great to know him," she said. 

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