To make a donation to to help send Aromsuk’s remains home to Thailand, visit any Bank of North Georgia branch or mail the donation to the branch at 5100 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA 30084.
On Saturday night, a bullet claimed the life of a beloved DeKalb County restaurant owner in the parking lot of a Tucker shopping center.
Somphot Aromsuk, known as “Joey” among locals, had been fighting with a man trying to rob him as Aromsuk locked up Mai Thai restaurant on Hugh Howell Road for the evening.
The 33-year-old businessman was shot in the chest. Police have arrested two suspects, including a woman who is said to have been a waitress at the restaurant.
Residents are now organizing fundraisers to transport Aromsuk's remains to his native Thailand. Chick-fil-a, across the parking lot in the Tucker Station shopping center at 4340 Hugh Howell Road, is donating a portion of its sales between noon and 6 p.m. Friday. A bank account is also being established for donations.
News of the crime has struck the heart of the tightknit city, an old and proud community, which was officially chartered only last year as the latest city in metro Atlanta's recent cityhood movement.
A makeshift memorial has risen in front of the Mai Thai eatery. On the window, sheets of paper hang with a marker for well-wishers to leave messages.
The city of Tucker even sent out a statement, lamenting the loss of life and thanking the DeKalb County Police Department for swiftly identifying the suspects.
“Our deepest sympathy goes out to Mr. Aromsuk's family as we work together to help them bring him home to Thailand,” the statement said. “We continue to be amazed by the outpouring of our generous community and are so proud of the people of Tucker.”
Folks around town knew Aromsuk as the friendly man who greeted them at the restaurant. He played a part in the community by hosting meetings of the Tucker Civic Association and the Smokerise Community Association at Mai Thai.
“He was very open and friendly, always had a smile on his face,” Sonja Szubski, president of the Tucker association, said Thursday. “He would tell us if we ever needed him, he was always there to help.”
The crime is stunning for Szubski particularly because of who the suspects are.
Jarvis Stanford, 23, and Imani Burns, 20, face murder and armed robbery charges. Stanford was identified as the suspected shooter who demanded money from the victim. Burns was the getaway driver, according to DeKalb police.
Szubski said Burns was a waitress for Aromsuk and Stanford is reportedly Burns’ boyfriend. “When I saw the mugshot...it was shocking.”
Despite the tragedy, some in Tucker are finding familiar comfort in uniting for a common goal. Last year, the cause was cityhood. This week, it’s mourning and sending Aromsuk back to his grieving mother.
“Where there is a tragedy or a celebration, we come together,” Szubski said. “This is kind of the embodiment of what Tucker is about and has always been about.”
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