AutoEuphoria
Captain Slow
"This young child only did to this woman what the white race did to the African American communitah for centuries"
Maybe the old woman was white, then it was just him getting back at her for having put blacks through all those years of segregation when she was younger *al sharpton spin*
Neighbors of a pastor's sonfaint: ) never described him as an angel. They knew Moise Opont once broke into a house, smashing holiday ornaments against the wall.
They didn't like the hours he kept, hanging out all night in the street.
But neighbors were stunned to find out Opont, 17, was arrested on charges of raping and killing a 99-year-old woman, whom some described as their neighborhood watchdog.
Edith Mecalla was found dead early Tuesday in the back bedroom of her Poinciana home, which she shared with her 77-year-old daughter, said investigators from the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.
Late Wednesday, deputies arrested Opont at his home, down the street from Mecalla's, on charges of burglary and battery of a person over 65. On Thursday, authorities added a second count of battery of a person over 65, first-degree murder and sexual battery.
Opont was taken to the Osceola Regional Juvenile Detention Center. It is up to the State Attorney's Office to decide whether he will be charged as an adult, officials said.
"He forced his way in," said Twis Lizasuain, spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office. She said Opont, who has a criminal history, cooperated with detectives during a lengthy interview.
Opont was charged with battery on a law-enforcement officer in 2006 and burglary in 2004.
Sandy Milton, who lives a couple of houses down from Opont, said her house was broken into while she was with her family in California in late November 2004.
She said she was scared and angry with her teen neighbor. Her holiday ornaments had been smashed, and knickknacks from their world travels were destroyed, she said.
But Milton said she was still surprised to hear the news about her neighbors.
"Breaking into a house is one thing, but murder is the opposite end of the scale," she said. "I'm totally shocked over this."
Many neighbors said Mecalla could always be found sitting inside her garage in her wheelchair and saying hello to everyone who passed by. Sometimes she was seen sipping from a cup. Neighbors said she liked to knit.
Mary Ann Gonzalez, who lives across the street, said Mecalla was always outside, ready with a hearty hello and a wave.
"She was so strong," Gonzalez said. "I didn't know she was 99. I thought she was 78."
Before Gonzalez knew Opont had been arrested, she said, many of her neighbors feared there was a killer living among them. She had trouble sleeping, she said.
Many residents who didn't want to be identified said there were rumors about gang activities in the area.
But Lizasuain said there was no evidence that this incident was gang-related.
Everyone seemed to be talking about Opont, whose father is a pastor and runs a church in Poinciana. A van painted with the church's information sat in the boy's driveway.
Opont's sister opened the door, but she said her parents weren't home and she didn't know anything about her brother's arrest.
A 16-year-old boy who attends Poinciana High School with Opont said he couldn't believe the news about his friend.
"We used to always play sports. He's a good kid," said the boy, who wore a black baseball cap and a gold medallion of Jesus around his neck. "He was a pastor's son."
Though residents were relieved someone had been arrested in Mecalla's murder, they were sad to see her long life end in tragedy.
"The lady didn't bother anybody. She was always there," Gonzalez said. "She didn't deserve to die like that."
god bless texas