But Figueroa said her spirits were lifted by scores of customers who
showed up Tuesday with cash and checks -- ranging from $1 to $500 -- toward
a reward for finding whoever killed the hardworking father of two.
An offer of free meals for donations of $25 or more helped bring in more
than $12,000 by late afternoon for the reward and a fund for the family.
The meals were paid for by West Coast Fab Inc., the Richmond sheet-metal
company for which Figueroa also worked as a fabricator. The company is also
matching the donations. With $26,000 already raised, there is now at least
$50,000 for the reward and family funds.
At about 9:30 p.m. on April 26, Figueroa, his wife and three employees
were cleaning up when four men, one of whom had a gun, accosted them inside the
hamburger restaurant at 11900 San Pablo Ave. near the El Cerrito-Richmond
border.
Figueroa, 40, came out of the restaurant's office and was shot once in the
chest when he resisted the assailants' demands for money, police said.
"I'm so grateful to all the people for all their support -- it's
wonderful. The most important thing is they're showing me a lot of love,"
Silvia Figueroa, 38, said Tuesday during the busy lunch hour as her staff
served up burgers and fries.
The victim's son, Alfredo Jr., 15, said he too was heartened by the
community's help. "He meant a lot to me," he said. "He worked hard. He did a
lot of stuff for us."
Several West Coast Fab representatives, including owner Tom Nelson and
operations manager Karel Gray, set up a table outside the restaurant. It was
draped with a sign reading, "Help us get our friend's killer off the streets."
Some people drove up and thrust checks out the window. One person handed
over a blank check, saying she was too busy to fill it in. Kids donated dollar
bills.
Steven Ramirez, 55, of San Pablo put down a crisp $100 bill and then
politely waved off a free lunch. "It's a small token as opposed to what
happened to Silvia and her family," said Ramirez, who owns a paralegal service
in Richmond. "No amount of money will replace her husband.
Ken Lerch, who sits on El Cerrito's economic development commission,
donated $50, saying he wanted to do his part "to show support that this family
needs" and to prove that "El Cerrito is a great place."
Rose Trainer, 59, of Rodeo, took a break from her job at the Crockett post
office to donate $25. "We need to stop the violence," she said.
Calvert Barron, 58, of Richmond, wrote a $50 check. "I am thrilled that
something is being done and that no one is forgetting about this," Barron said.
Mechanics Bank regional manager Thomas Bennett, eating lunch with three
colleagues, lamented what he sees as a case of a man who got up early each day
"trying to make a buck" ending up getting killed by someone "who gets up at
noon, doesn't want to work and then says, 'give me what you got.' It's just
wrong, so senseless."
Red Onion is a mainstay in the community. It's known for its vintage
Coca-Cola wallpaper and clock, diner-style stools and black-and-white
checkerboard floor.
It is in the shadow of the BART tracks and is located across the street
from Home Depot, where construction workers frequently made purchases before
dashing across San Pablo Avenue for a hamburger, cheeseburger or chicken-breast
sandwich.
By Tuesday afternoon, people had donated $7,750 toward a reward fund and
$4,500 toward a fund for the family, West Coast Fab's Gray said. The company
will double each figure, and all the money will be turned over to the family if
no reward is issued, he said.
Figueroa and his wife bought the restaurant in January 2006. Silvia
Figueroa had worked for the previous owner for 10 years before that.
El Cerrito police have not yet identified the assailants. Anyone with
information on the slaying is asked to call El Cerrito police Detective Sgt.
Peter Statton at (510) 215-4423 or Detective Aaron Leone at (510) 215-4422.
Contributions can be sent to the Alfredo Figueroa Memorial Fund at any
Mechanics Bank.
This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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