The Lake Mary Police Department said Andre Ernesto Luciano, 26, was arrested by the Kissimmee Police Department Wednesday morning and booked into the Osceola County Jail on charges of first degree murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
Around 5 p.m. Tuesday the body of Nu Dang was found in the back of the Lake Mary Dry Cleaners located at the Shoppes of Lake Mary at the corner of Lake Mary Boulevard and North Country Club Road.
Investigators say Dang was a family member of the business owner.
Lake Mary police said during the investigation they discovered that Dang's vehicle was missing. Detectives said Kissimmee Police Department officers located Luciano driving the vehicle and arrested him.
Investigators say the dry cleaner’s cash drawer was empty. But they won’t say why Luciano targeted the business.
“He may have relatives here and may have grown up in this area, but there is no indication that he knew those folks in any way,” said Lake Mary Police Chief Steve Bracknell.
Nu Dang's murder at Lake Mary Dry Cleaners hit Lake Mary police especially hard, because many in the department – including the chief of police – knew the victim.
And it’s that relationship that helped police catch Dang’s accused killer.
“It’s very difficult, when you have these types of events, especially in the humble city of Lake Mary where we’re not accustomed to this type of crime,” said Bracknell.
Police say Dang is a family member of the business’s owner. Investigators say Dang, in her late 50s, had been shot.
One man says his daughter was at a karate class just a few doors down when it all happened.
“The whole class stopped during the class because they thought they had heard something,” said Craig Sheets, a Lake Mary resident.
Customers stopped by the dry cleaners throughout the day on Wednesday. Some of them left flowers at the front of the business. Customers say they knew Dang as “Jenny,” a friendly face they had come to know for many years.
“She was such a sweet person, a kind person. I’m just going to really miss her. It’s just terrible, and my heart goes out to the family,” said Althea Parrish, a customer.
Business owners say the murder has really upset them, and put them on edge despite the fact the accused murderer is behind bars One shop owner says she thinks there needs to be more surveillance cameras throughout the building.
Andre Luciano is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and armed robbery. He’s expected to face a judge in Osceola County on Thursday. Eventually he’ll be brought back to Seminole County.