Homicide victim's auto shops will stay open

By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Andrea Tyrones insists her family’s four auto businesses will stay open despite her husband being shot and killed by what police call an irate customer.

On Friday, George Tyrones, 46, will be buried about three miles from the European Auto Care Center where he was fatally shot.

“I’m still running all the businesses. We were partners in life and in business,” Andrea Tyrones said Thursday. “He loved his customers like family. That’s why it’s so important.”

Tyrones said she is trying to make sure no employees lose their jobs. European Auto is temporarily being operated at Old World Motors near Tucker while police finish the investigation, she said.

Troy Johnson and Abel Johnson, who are unrelated, remain in the DeKalb County jail, both charged with murder.

Police say Troy Johnson, 41, was the shooter.

Johnson came to Tyrones’ shop last week, looking for someone to repair his Jaguar’s transmission. Other shops had quoted him a fee of up to $3,000, employees said.

George Tyrones looked at the car and offered to do the work for $800. But Johnson, who had a history of bouncing checks, was asked to pay with cash, employees said.

Johnson picked up his car on Friday, but was unhappy that he had to pay cash, employees said

So he dropped a suitcase full of what he said was $800 worth of coins on the counter, snatched his keys and drove off in his repaired car, according to a police report.

On Monday, Johnson returned to the LaVista Road auto shop. This time, he had a gun and his friend, 30-year-old Abel Johnson, according to police reports.

Troy Johnson walked into the business and confronted Tyrones. He then charged Tyrones and shot him in the head, police said.

He argued with another employee before driving off in his Ford F-150, where Abel Johnson was waiting, witnesses told police.

Steve Kellett, a technician at Old World Motorcars, said he doesn’t understand the shooting because his former boss went out of his way to help the customer.

“He was the fairest boss I ever had in my life,” said Kellett, who worked for him about seven years. “He’s a super reasonable guy and let’s people pay a little now, a little later. That’s why it was so unreal.”

Officers say Tyrones did the right thing: he called for police as soon as he felt threatened Friday and had the dispute documented.

“Unfortunately, this was a very unusual incident where an argument or dispute turned deadly,” police spokesman Jason Gagnon said. “We will investigate all threats and take them very seriously as long as they are properly documented.”

Steve Reba, who lived across the street from Tyrones, pointed to gun control problems and said it’s sad that some turn to guns to settle disputes.

“Shot in the head over an $800 transmission.  No police officer could have stopped the irrational shooter,” he said. “No gun of his own could have protected the hard working mechanic from the customer who walked in the front door, charged him, and shot him in the head.”

Nkosi Bey, an attorney for Troy Johnson did not return a phone call on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Bey said there was more to the story than that of an irate customer. However, he did not elaborate.

Andrea Tyrones said she didn’t want to talk about the shooting, but insisted she was going to do what is best for her family by helping her husband’s customers.

Tyrones opened his first repair shop, Deutschland Automotive, about 20 years after he inherited the building on LaVista Road, across from Tucker High School. His father previously operated a restaurant, Fresco’s, there.

Tyrones was more interested in cars than the restaurant, his wife said. After graduating from Georgia State University, he opened Deutschland. He later changed the name to European Auto Care Center.

He subsequently opened Old World Motorcars, which specializes in restoration of 1930s to 1970s vehicles.

He married Andrea seven years ago and the couple opened two auto storage shops, European Auto Vault and All Wheels Storage in Tucker, she said.

“He got me into cars,” she said. “It was his love and became mine.”

Besides his Mercedes, Tyrones favorite wheels were his daughters’ bicycles. Neighbors frequently saw him walking down Decatur’s streets, helping his 5-year-old Ave and 3-year-old Ariana learn to ride.

He also liked to take the girls fishing or watch them play on their Slip n' Slide in the yard, his wife said.

“He enjoyed simple things like cigar smoking, taking kids on bike rides and being outside with them,” his wife said.

A funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation on Clairmont Road in Atlanta. He will be buried in Floral Hills Memory Garden.