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Lake Wales Mourns Fire Victims

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By BILLY TOWNSEND | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 20, 2007

Updated: 12/20/2007 02:27 pm

LAKE WALES - Dorilyn Kornn and Tamora Jones and her friends always enjoyed going to the Headley Nationwide Insurance office on Central Avenue.

They'd tend to business and shoot the breeze with Yvonne Bustamante and Juanita Luciano, the young women there who handled customer service.

"Even after we finished, we'd just sit and talk," Kornn said. They chatted about life, children, whatever was going on. Bustamante "loved her little boys," Kornn said.

They never dreamed they'd be going to the office for a vigil of mourning.

"It's just really sad this would happen," Jones said.

Kornn and Jones were two of several hundred family members, friends and community members who gathered at noon Thursday in the parking lot of the insurance agency for a brief vigil and prayer service for the victims of last week's fiery attack on Bustamante and Luciano, who were sisters-in-law.

Bustamante died late Tuesday night at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Luciano remains in critical condition there. Both women were severely burned in the robbery attempt.

Luciano was about six months' pregnant. Her son, Michael Bustamante Jr., was delivered by Caesarean section but died a few days later.

Bustamante leaves behind a longtime boyfriend who is the father of her two children, ages 8 and 4.

Funeral services for Yvonne Bustamante and Michael Bustamante Jr. have been set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Marion Nelson Funeral Home in Lake Wales.

Leon Davis Jr., 30, is accused of attempting to rob the insurance agency and then setting the women on fire as he held them at gunpoint inside. He is being held in the Polk County jail without bail.

Charges have not been upgraded to murder, but they will be, Lake Wales Police Chief Herbert Gillis said.

Authorities say Davis also shot a man who tried to help the women. Brandon Greisman had a non-life-threatening wound to the nose.

They say Davis also is the man who shot and killed two gas station workers during a robbery attempt this month near Lake Alfred.

Sheriff's detectives on Saturday said that ballistics analysis of bullets from both crime scenes match and that they plan to charge Davis in the slaying of Pravinkumar Patel and Dasharathbhai Patel.

All the charges against Davis will be sorted out in the coming days by Lake Wales police, the sheriff's office and the state attorney's office, officials said.

Authorities need help determining Davis' whereabouts between the time of the Lake Wales attack, about 3:40 p.m., and the time he turned himself in at the Polk County Sheriff's Office, about 8 p.m.

Anyone with information should contact the sheriff's homicide unit at (863) 534-6379 or (863) 533-0344.

Donations:

A trust fund has been set up for the families of the two victims. Donations can be sent to the Bustamante Luciano Family Trust, Wachovia Bank, 4405 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland, FL 33813.

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