Crime
2 dead after vehicle plows into outside patio at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
One of the victims killed has been identified as Kristina Folkerts.
On Sept. 1, 2024, just after 8 p.m., St. Louis Park police and fire personnel responded to a reported incident at Park Tavern, 3401 Louisiana Ave. S., St. Louis Park, of a vehicle being driven into the outside patio area.
Two people are dead with three injured.
One of the victims killed has been identified as Kristina Folkerts. Her mother, Laura Lee, worked at Park Tavern from the late ’80s until she passed away in 2008.
Kristina had followed in her mother’s footsteps and began serving at Park Tavern.
Surveillance footage shows the male driver entered the Park Tavern parking lot and did not enter Park Tavern.
He attempted to park, then drove into the outside patio at Park Tavern.
The male driver is under arrest for criminal vehicular homicide.
Jail records show Steven Frane Bailey, 56, is being held on criminal vehicular homicide in the St. Louis Park incident where two people died and three were injured when a driver plowed into a crowded patio.
He appears to have a history of DWI.
The Minnesota State Patrol is on scene doing accident reconstruction.
Other assisting agencies include the Hopkins, Minnetonka and Wayzata police departments and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
The scene remains active and anyone with information is asked to call 952.924.2618.
This is an active and ongoing investigation of the St. Louis Park Police Department.
Additional updates will be provided as more information is available.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.