Crime
Jeffery Guida killed after road rage shooting in Catawba County, suspect Terrell Giddens arrested
The victim’s vehicle was occupied at that time by his three children, ages thirteen, eleven and two. Those victims were not injured.
UPDATE: The homicide victim in this case has been identified as Jeffery Michael Guida.
Guida’s next of kin have been notified.
The identities of the three victims of Attempted First Degree Murder will not be released due to their ages.
Guida was 40 years old at the time of his death.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
On Saturday, 10/12/2024 at 4:53 p.m. deputies with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting at the intersection of Island Point Rd and North View Harbour Dr.
When deputies arrived they discovered an adult male deceased from what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
Eyewitnesses informed deputies that another man shot the victim after both stopped and exited their vehicles.
Eyewitnesses also reported that the shooter fired multiple rounds into the victim’s vehicle during this incident.
The victim’s vehicle was occupied at that time by his three children, ages thirteen, eleven and two. Those victims were not injured.
Eyewitnesses provided deputies with vehicle and suspect descriptions.
Those descriptions led deputies to a residence in the 9000 block of Island Point Rd.
At that residence deputies located and arrested Terrell Eugene Giddens.
Giddens,75, has been charged with one count of Murder and three counts of Attempted First Degree Murder.
Giddens is being held with no bond and has a first appearance in Catawba County District Court on 10/14/2024.
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.