Family, friends remember Niles mother at vigil tonight

NILES

About 100 grieving and shocked friends turned out in frigid temperatures tonight for a vigil outside the Hideaway Lounge to remember Britney Mazanec, who was killed early Sunday in front of the lounge, on Youngstown Road near Eastwood Mall.

“Britney was a beautiful person who was always trying to put a smile on peoples’ faces,” said her father, Greg Stone of Niles. “This is tough to deal with,” he said, holding back his emotions.

“I thought it was a bad joke when I found out she had been killed. My sister was loved by everybody,” said her brother, Jeff, 29, of Warren.

“We graduated together from Niles McKinley High School in 2004 and our kids are the same ages,” said Melissa Misier. “She was a really great mom and was friends with everybody. I’m heartbroken and shocked.”

“When her brother called me and told me had what happened, it was hard to believe. We all grew up together,” said Jimmy Connor of Niles. “I’m here to pay my respects to Britney and my buddy,” Connor said.

“We thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” said Mazanec’s mother, Tammy Stone, to those who attended the vigil, which was organized by Mazanec’s sister, Cristine, and ended with a release of purple balloons as the crowd shouted, “We love you, Britney.”

Outside of court Monday, family members said Mazanec was the mother of children ages 4 and 6, and manager of Classy Clean Car Wash and gas station on Youngstown-Warren Road.

When the shooting occurred, at 2:15 a.m. Sunday in front of the Hideaway, a friend in her car, where she was shot, didn’t sound anxious until just after she told a 911 operator she could see blood coming from Mazanec’s mouth and nose.

“They punched our window out,” the friend said. “We were trying to get away from them and she passed out.”

A short time into the 911 call, the friend started to sound scared. “Britney, Britney,” she said. She asked the 911 operator to “Please hurry up,” and then said, “I don’t think she’s breathing.”

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.