Police hope accident video will lead to 2 who robbed, shot man

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

YOUNGSTOWN — Police are exploring new video evidence that may lead to the capture of two people wanted for robbing and shooting the manager of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

Joseph Kaluza of Youngstown, a manager at the KFC restaurant on South Avenue, was traveling south on South Avenue about 10 a.m. Monday when a blue-gray Saturn cut him off and caused an accident, said police Capt. Ken Centorame, chief of detectives.

Kaluza called 911 and then lent his cell phone to the female driver of the Saturn. A man then shot Kaluza in the right side of the head and neck.

The shooter pushed Kaluza’s car a short distance into a driveway on Hilton Avenue and demanded money. Kaluza told the man the money was in the console of the car. The man took about $300.

Kaluza was heading to a bank to deposit the money.

Centorame said police believe the male and female duo knew Kaluza would be making the deposit and staged the accident with plans to rob him. There is one thing, however, the pair did not count on — video footage of the crime.

Centorame said a Western Reserve Transit Authority bus was traveling down South Avenue just behind the car used by the woman to stage the accident.

He said police have received video footage from that bus showing the car and accident as it happened.

Police are hoping that footage leads to the apprehension of the man and woman.

The tape shows a blue-gray 2001 or 2002 Saturn L-series with the word “Saturn” in the bumper. He said the rear license plate was removed from the car.

Even with the missing rear plate, police hope to have an enhanced image of the front plate from either the FBI or the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation to help in the investigation.

“They knew they were going to have this gentlemen rear-end them, so they removed the rear plate,” he said.

Centorame said the woman is described as black with a darker complexion, somewhat chubby and wearing a pink coat with fur around the hood.

The man is described as black, about 30 years old with a mustache, between 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 3 inches tall and wearing a gray skull cap.

Kaluza is a 42-year-old father of two kids with special needs. His sister, Anna Fitzgerald, told Centorame he is in serious condition in a Cleveland hospital and is paralyzed from the neck down.

She is urging anyone who has information about the crime to call police.

Donations are being accepted at any Huntington Bank branch to help defray his medical costs.

Anyone with information can call 911 or Crime Stoppers at (330) 746-CLUE.

jgoodwin@vindy.com