ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A homeless man whose death is being investigated as a homicide was called “The Mayor” at a business plaza near where his body was found in a tent.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro on May 27 did not publicly identify the man found dead May 25 off Rolyat Street, north of Okeechobee Road and east of South Jenkins Road.
However, a number of people who work in a plaza just east of there said his name was Carl, with Ashley Barron, store manager at Sally Beauty, saying she called him “The Mayor.”
“He was just awesome,” Barron said. “We call him ‘The Mayor’ around here because he was like the mayor of the parking lot.”
She said Carl kept the parking lot clean, and “had a lot of respect around here.”
Barron said when the time changed and it got dark earlier, Carl would wait outside for her to ensure she got in her car safely.
“Just being a gentleman,” Barron said.
At least four St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office crime scene vans in the early afternoon of May 27 lined Rolyat Street, as a number of sheriff’s officials appeared to gather items from a wooded area on the east side of the road. At one point, two people carried a large cardboard box away from the property.
No one answered knocks at the doors of several neighboring homes. Two people at one residence declined comment.
Barron said Carl emptied her trash, and they enjoyed giving him food, clothes and shoes.
“We know he was in a tough position and he was homeless and he didn’t have much, but he was just thankful for everything that we did do for him,” Barron said.
She last saw Carl on May 23, two days before he was found dead. Sheriff’s officials reported his death was determined to be a homicide on May 26.
At a Tropical Smoothie Café nearby in the plaza, Mary Gryb, assistant manager, described Carl as “a very, very nice man.”
“He had his moments for sure, but I guess when you live out there that happens,” she said. “But he was a good guy.”
She said sometimes Carl was erratic, and was found passed out drunk one day.
Aaron Dunn, another Tropical Smoothie Café employee, said Carl was a bit of a loner.
“Kind of kept to himself. He’s a nice guy though,” Dunn said. “Helped clean up the parking lot.”
Barron first met Carl when she was dumping trash, and he yelled that she was disposing of the trash illegally.
“He didn’t know that I was the manager in the actual plaza,” Barron said, noting he came and apologized.
Barron said another worker there gave Carl chili dogs, which he loved.
“She’s an older lady, but he calls her baby doll,” Barron said. “We used to joke and say he has a crush on her.”
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Man dead in Florida homicide ‘was just awesome’
Reporting by Will Greenlee, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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