ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida man was arrested Thursday evening, 10 days after he allegedly shot up a home after one of its residents complained about an experience at a restaurant, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
On Aug. 20, deputies were called to a home after Norman Auvil, 42, of Orlando -- riding in an SUV driven by Michael Johnson, the restaurant owner's son -- shot the home three times before Johnson drove away, according to an arrest report.
#Orlando man charged with firing into home after woman wrote negative restaurant review! We’ll hear from the man who says one of the bullets missed his head by only inches on #TV27at10 & #WFTVat11 @WFTV pic.twitter.com/9k9go5KdD0
— Ken Tyndall (@KenTyndallWFTV) September 1, 2018
The report said one of the bullets pierced a window, narrowly missing the head of Kenneth Walley, who was watching television in the living room.
“I actually could feel the air from the bullet as it passed by me," Walley said. "It missed me by about 4 inches."
On Aug. 19, Walley's wife, Diana Walley, had been denied service at the Daybreak Diner, so their daughter, Monica Walley, called the diner and spoke with several workers about her mother's visit, the report said.
Monica Walley said that she left a negative review on Facebook after her disabled mother was denied service on her birthday. She said the restaurant workers were "unnecessarily rude."
"It's my right to be able to tell others what my experience is and what happened and stand up for my mother," Monica Walley said. "I think that anybody in my shoes would have done the same thing."
According to the report, Monica Walley was unsatisfied with the diner's response, so she launched a social media campaign against the diner, alleging that they mistreated her mother because of a disability.
"The social media campaign resulted in negative online reviews, negative social media posts and harassing and angry phone calls to the restaurant," the report said. "The restaurant's owner, Lizabeth Johnson, later stated she felt that day that her business was ruined as a result of the negative social media campaign."
Investigators said that Michael Johnson and his girlfriend, Stephanie Knight, worked at the diner that they intended to inherit someday.
The report said Knight and Michael Johnson had been driving a 2013 white Ford Flex registered to Knight's father. The SUV matched the description of the one recorded by a surveillance camera approaching the shooting scene, the report said.
Investigators said Michael Johnson and Jesse Martin told them that on Aug. 20, they were drinking beer with Auvil at the home where they all live.
Deputies said the men were angry about the damage to the diner's reputation and the negative social media campaign, so Martin used an internet search engine to determine Monica Walley's identity from her Facebook post and to find her address.
"(Michael) Johnson drove the white Ford Flex while Martin navigated from the back passenger seat and Auvil rode in the front passenger seat," the report said. "(Michael) Johnson and Martin contend they drove to the Walley residence with the intent to harm someone (via physical fight) or to cause property damage (slashing tires or similar vandalism)."
Deputies said Auvil fired the shots when Michael Johnson stopped outside the home. Investigators said the men tried to dispose of the evidence after Michael Johnson drove away.
Auvil was arrested Thursday at South Bumby Avenue and Nancy Street, near the Lake Como home where the three men live, deputies said.
Detectives said Auvil expressed loyalty to Michael Johnson and Knight and said he had drunk six to eight beers with his friends while discussing the issue and before going for a ride with Michael Johnson and Martin.
Investigators said that although Auvil wouldn't discuss his involvement in the incident, he told them that he understands that it "looked bad" for him.
Auvil, who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, said he drinks beer "most days," investigators said.
"Both Martin and (Michael) Johnson expressed concern for their safety and stated they had witnessed or been subjected to violent outbursts by Auvil in their residence," the report said.
Auvil was arrested on charges of shooting into an occupied dwelling, shooting from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a person and abuse of a disabled adult.
"I didn't think anybody was crazy enough to do something like this over something so small," Monica Walley said.
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