I was on duty for the overnight shift on Aug. 26, 1998.
About 3:20 a.m., Johnny, one of the employees from Dennys restaurant next door approached me to report someone had been robbed and beaten in our parking lot. The person was waiting inside Dennys.
I asked Brent, the Front Desk clerk to phone 911 emergency to get the Daytona Beach Police and an Ambulance. I walked over to Denny's to investigate and interview the victim.
I observed the victim, a white male, was cut and bruised. He told me that was staying at one of the Motels down the street. He had been walking on the beach, when two black males jumped out and started chasing him.
He had run away from the men, turned into Lenox Avenue, then cut across some grass into our South parking lot. When he tried to jump our fence, he fell and the two men had captured him. One of the perpetrators had pulled out a knife and took $700 from him. The victim appeared drunk or high to me.
Within a few minutes, Daytona Beach Police cars #22 and #33 arrived on site along with Volusia County EVAC #83. The Paramedics attended to the victim's injuries while the Police interviewed him.
The man repeated his story to the Police, although he forgot a few details and I briefed the Officers on what he had originally told me.
The EVAC-Ambulance transported the victim away to the hospital for furthur treatment.
I walked with one of the Officers to the South parking lot, where we found a pager and cigarette lighter near the beach end. We both speculated that the large amount of cash probably indicated foul play involving drugs.
The Police Officers left our site shortly afterward to conduct their investigation.
