Family Wants Answers In Death Of Hialeah Restaurant Owner
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HIALEAH (CBSMiami) – A Hialeah restaurant remains closed Monday after the 78-year-old owner was shot and killed over the weekend.
Family, friends and longtime customers have left flowers in front of La Fortuna restaurant to memorialize Andres Lezcano.
"I just couldn't believe it and I still don't believe it," Mario Rodriguez, a customer said.
Lezcano moved to South Florida from Cuba to make a better life for his family. Family says he spend more than 20 years of his life building La Fortuna, located at 1925 W. 76th St.
Lezcano leaves behind three children and two grandchildren.
"He was my father," said Isidro Lezcano, who said his dad was a very hard worker. "He was an example for me. He worked all his life, even when he was sick. He had prostate cancer and he still works every day."
Lezcano's son said his dad and two employees were inside the popular Hialeah restaurant around 5:30 AM getting ready to open when they were ambushed by two or three killers.
"They jumped through the window when he was opening up and they pointed at him with a gun. He moved. They told him not to move and they shot him," Isidro Lezcano said.
Relatives said Lezcano kept a gun hidden inside the restaurant and had fired several shots during the attack.
"He did put up resistance and he shot back at them and then they killed him," the victim's son said.
Robert Hasmi said he's disgusted.
"It's ridiculous. These criminals out there, they're preying on hard working people," Hasmi said.
Lezcano's son said he hopes the public can help give his family some closure.
"We are devastated with this and we hope if anything we can catch the killers," he said.
Lezcano's funeral is scheduled for Tuesday at the Riviera Funeral Home at 5 PM.
Anyone with information should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS(8477).
