A community is coming together to support the family of a father killed for his tip money.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office arrested two people for the murder of Justin VanMeter. But there is still a big gap in the man’s young family.
VanMeter’s former boss at Gilby’s Restaurant hoped to fill that void with a fundraiser Thursday. Jim Guilebault donated 50 percent of proceeds at his Boynton Beach restaurant to pay for VanMeter’s funeral and other expenses.
“It takes care of this one too because it’s definitely going to be hard,” VanMeter’s girlfriend, Sam Luzenko, said holding the couple’s 3-month-old baby boy.
Luzenko and VanMeter met working for Guilebault.
“Justin, working with us, was basically my back of the house guy,” the restaurant owner remembered.
Guilebault said after years working together, he got to know VanMeter as more than an employee.
“He was an extremely funny guy, worked well with others, and always got along with others,” he described the 28-year-old.
VanMeter was the dedicated man who recently took a different server job to earn more money for his newborn son. But he won’t be able to see that son grow up.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said two men saw VanMeter's tip money when he paid for an item at a Lantana convenience store Sunday night. They followed him outside where a robbery turned into a deadly shooting.
“As soon as she told me that, I had a feeling something bad had happened,” Luzenko described being alerted VanMeter may have been shot.
Pain and uncertainty overtook what should be happy times.
Deputies arrested Mcintosh Pierre-Paul, 25, and Jean Mary Marcherno, 20, for the murder.
But Luzenko misses the person who she did everything with.
“I was just so happy to see him everyday,” she said.
Now a former boss’s idea might take one burden from VanMeter’s family.
“So they don’t have any worries for Sunday for the burial. Hopefully some of the donations carry over to Samantha, so she can buy diapers and formula,” Guilebault explained.
Luzenko said the kind acts make a huge difference.
The fundraiser lasts until 9 o’clock. It takes place at Gilby’s Restaurant:
2201 S Federal Hwy
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
TODAY from 3-9pm Gilby's Restaurant in #BoyntonBeach is hosting a fundraiser for Justin VanMeter's family. He was killed this weekend pic.twitter.com/MY0thuUTRx
— Charlie Keegan (@CKeeganWPTV) July 13, 2017