A traumatized kitchen worker discovered a hearing-impaired man dead inside the ventilation system of a longtime Atlanta soul food restaurant early Monday.
Cops rushed to Walter’s Soul Food Cafe on Cleveland Avenue around 9 a.m. After receiving reports of a person stuck inside the building’s vent, the Atlanta Police Department said. The employee who found 37-year-old Terrika Myers made the horrific discovery after spotting him wedged tight inside the shaft, with his head, arms and torso hanging out of a kitchen vent.
“All we seen was his head. That’s all. His head and his arms,” the worker told Channel 2 Atlanta.
The staffer called 911 immediately, but when Atlanta Fire Rescue crews worked to free him, Myers was already dead.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Myers’ identity. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday to determine his cause of death.
It’s unclear exactly how he ended up in the ductwork. However, Channel 2 reported that the restaurant’s roof appears to be easy to access from the ground and Myers may have been trying to break into the business through the HVAC system atop the roof. There were no signs of foul play, according to police.
Grieving friends and family members were left shattered by Myers’ sudden death. His cousin, Karen Byrd, wrote in a tragic Facebook post:
“I still can’t believe I’m even having to say goodbye to you. Losing my little cousin is a pain I can’t even put into words.”
Byrd continued, “I wish we had more time, more laughs, more memories… just more time.”
A GoFundMe campaign was launched for Myers’ mother, Yolanda, to help cover unexpected funeral costs. The fundraiser noted that he was hearing-impaired.
“Terrika was known as a devoted friend, a loving family man, and someone who would help anyone in need however he could,” the description reads.
“His passing has left the Myers family heartbroken and at a loss for words.”
The Monday morning discovery at the Cleveland Avenue eatery has stunned the local community, where Walter’s Soul Food Cafe has long served as a neighborhood fixture.