ROCKPAGE

HurricaneBob · Post by **HurricaneBob** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

Al and Freddie were shot and killed at the UVA last night. I have no words for this......

TJ Kelly · Post by **TJ Kelly** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

What's this town coming to? This sucks ass!

subimeman · Post by **subimeman** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

Who is Al and Freddie?

TJ Kelly · Post by **TJ Kelly** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

Al was the owner of the UVA as well as the Hotel Belmare. Freddie always worked the door.

HurricaneBob · Post by **HurricaneBob** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

Al Minyon (spelling?) owner of the UVA and Belmar hotel, and Freddie Rickabaugh, who ran the UVA.

subimeman · Post by **subimeman** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

that's terrible........really that's unbelievable

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

Really what is this town coming to? anymore the bigger cities are safer then small towns,

Mistress_DB · Post by **Mistress_DB** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

was it Al who used to be a math teacher at Roosevelt?

TJ Kelly · Post by **TJ Kelly** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

ImAGrimmette · Post by **ImAGrimmette** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

I had Mr. "Al" Mignon as a math teacher my senior year at Altoona High. I would take his bar receipts over to the Belmar for him on my way to Vo-Tech. He was an AWESOME Teacher and a great person! I am just in SHOCK -

Why does the solution to every minor problem (like gaining access to a members only bar) have to turn to a gun and someone getting killed in this town. Completely senseless!

Of course these types of crimes is what keeps Atty. Dickey in business!

Guess his name will be up in lights in the Altoona Mirror and TV 10 News. Asshole!

Grimmette Lisa

Mistress_DB · Post by **Mistress_DB** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

Grimmette, he was my 7th grade math teacher at Roosevelt. When he'd raise his voice, everybody would shut up.

Pure Evil · Post by **Pure Evil** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

Al was also my math teacher at some point of high school. On a personal level I never cared much for Al but for something like this to happen to anyone is ridiculous. Altoona is becoming worse by the day it seems and when your not even safe from being shot at in your own establishment it really puts perspective on how terrible this place has become.

My sympathy goes to Al, Freddie and all els evolved families.

I heard a 3rd was injured or killed.

f.sciarrillo · Post by **f.sciarrillo** » Sunday Aug 28, 2005

ALTOONA -- When you go out for a night on the town, the last thing you think of is violence. Just before two in the morning on Sunday, three people were gunned down outside of a local club and the reason will shock you.

First words out of my mouth were Oh, my god! I couldn't believe it. I'm still stoic today thinking it's a dream, says Jerry Gamber who frequents the Altoona Club.

Unfortunately this isn't a dream, it's a nightmare. Officials tell Channel 6 that a man by the name of Miguel Padilla tried to get into the U.V.A. Club. It is a member's only club so Padilla was denied. Upset by this he allegedly went out to his car and got a gun. Bullets were fired.

The owner of the club Al Mignon, his bouncer Freddy Rickabaugh, and off duty Blair County Prison Guard Steve Heiss were all killed.

U.V.A. member Jerry Gamber saw Mignon earlier in the night at Mignon's other bar, The Belmar Hotel. He says that Mignon was a retired teacher who owned the bars in retirement.

He was also a family man. He always cared about his family he'd make time for his family, says Gamber.

Like many others in this area, Jerry now has to live with this senseless act of violence.

There are some great memories that Ill cherish and those things you can't take away. Memories are a good thing, says Gamber.

Miguel Padilla turned himself into police earlier today and is currently in custody.

Rich Klindworth, Channel 6 News.

What is it with the mentality of people these days ?? I did not know the people who were killed for this senseless act. But, I feel very bad for the families. In the last week. Four people in our area were murdered .. What is this world coming to ???

HarleyRo1 · Post by **HarleyRo1** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

And...there were three car jackings in the city last night. Not only do we need to lock our homes (when we're in them) - we now need to lock our car doors when driving. Two nights ago an elderly couple's home was forced into (two blocks from my home) the couple tied up and robbed. Honestly, I used to think this was a safe town to raise my daughter in, I certainly don't feel that way now. Let's face it, drugs are taking over our town and it's only going to get worse. My sister had her purse stolen from her vehicle at the 4D's a few weeks ago - after some thugs smashed out a window with a huge rock -she left it in the locked van, thinking it would be safer than taking it into a bar - nice way for her to remember her 40th birthday. And the best part is --- they kept and are using her cell phone!

As with all of you, my heart goes out to Mr. Mignogna, Freddy Rickabaugh and Mr. Heiss's families. It's purely a senseless act of violence - he didn't just destroy three lives, he changed their family's lives forever.

If there is ever a time I'd love to be picked for jury duty...it would be for that trial.

Post by **Jim Price** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

I first heard about this Sunday when I was at the Cresson Sportsmen's Club for "End Of Summer Jam." Even though I didn't know any of the three killed (I had said hello to Al and Fred a few times but didn't know them well), this terrible incident shocked me as well. My condolences to all the surviving families, friends and associates of the victims.

I had just become a member at the UVA late last year, and had not gone there since becoming a member.

Like several others have expressed, I too am concerned about the apparent increase of violent crime in this town. Especially as somebody who is out to cover the live music scene in nightspots up to 5 nights a week, this trend troubles me greatly. I know this incident will only make me more wary about who else is in the room when I go to some places around here (as well as whether I should even go to some places).

And add this to the other factors that scare people away from going to see live bands any more. People hear about things like this happening, and start to wonder if it is safe to leave their houses at night. I know fights used to scare people away, now people have to fear for their own lives.

Danette · Post by **Danette** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

My family back in Ca have been pestering me for years to get out of Altoona and come home. I thought Altoona was the safer place to raise my family but now I am REALLY wondering if I made the right choice.

Friday night I returned home from working at a local club to find police cruisers all around our block and many of our neighbors on their porches. Directly behind our home a shooting had occured. 2 doors away from the Knickerbocker. Several shots had been fired into a house and into a vehicle. The gunman ran right past our house. Thank god no one had been hurt.

WTF has happened to this town?? Its not bad enough that drug busts are an every day common occurance here on top of importing drug problems from other cities thanks to all the half way houses scattered all over the city, now they are reporting the shooter was an illegal immigrant!

I use to work the door before I was promoted to bartender and people would complain when coming in because they would have to go through the "inconvience" of being checked over with a metal detector wand or they didn't get in. God forbid their drinking time gets cut into! I wish I had a nickle for every smart ass comment that was made about hiding a weapon on their person. You should see some of the crap I stopped from coming through the door! I wonder how many of those smart asses are going to be complaining about being wanded down after this weekends tragic events. I for one am grateful for the metal detectors and the security cameras in and around the building, even more so now.

Almost all of us that work in the local clubs & bars have had the displeasure of some unruly patron threaten us because they had to be shut off, asked to leave and so on. Now do we get to live in fear of our lives because some drunk idiot has a difficult time acting like a civilized human being? As much as I love my job I am beginning to wonder if its worth the risk anymore.

My condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Mignon, Mr Rickabaugh and Mr Heiss and I pray that Miguel Padilla rots in hell along with the lawyer who has the stupidity to represent him!

HurricaneBob · Post by **HurricaneBob** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

ImAGrimmette wrote: Of course these types of crimes is what keeps Atty. Dickey in business! Guess his name will be up in lights in the Altoona Mirror and TV 10 News. Asshole!

Grimmette Lisa

Ive seen Dickey in the UVA numerous times and he was friends with Al, i dont think he will represent this guy.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

Words cannot express the outrage.

plumcrazy · Post by **plumcrazy** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

I myself am very new to the local music scene and have made some awesome friends, it's like one big family. Everyone supports everyone.

This is unbelievable to have something so barbaric happen in such a small place. I grew up in the Washington DC area and thought that was bad. What is it going to take for the authorities to get this under control? Are we as citizens going to have to always fear leaving our homes? We aren't even safe in our own homes or businesses any more. Our children, families and friends aren't safe.

How did this monster get to our area? Why was he allowed to walk the streets? Let us go to his country and do something so awful, we wouldn't even think about getting a trial. They would kill us on the spot.

My sincerest condolences to the friends and families of Mr. Mignon, Mr. Rickabaugh and Mr. Heiss. May God be with you all!

Cath

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

According to WTAJTV.com:

A man Altoona police say is an illegal immigrant is in jail without bond on charges he fatally shot the owner, bouncer and a patron at an after-hours club where he was denied admission. Miguel Padilla was arraigned on three counts of criminal homicide for the early morning shooting at the UVA Club. Witnesses told police that Padilla was denied access to the club because he was not a member shortly after two o'clock Sunday morning. Padilla is accused of going to his car where he got a gun and shot owner Alfred Mignogna, bouncer Fred Rickabaugh and patron Steven Heiss in his anger. Padilla is represented by Altoona attorney Thomas Dickey.

BDR · Post by **BDR** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

lonewolf wrote: Padilla is represented by Altoona attorney Thomas Dickey.

Douche bag ... are there no limits to the greed of this defense attorney? I know lawyers work criminal defense because prosecutors don't make dick, but c'mon ... there's gotta be a limit.

r:>)

Danette · Post by **Danette** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

That is just an all time low - even for Dickey.
Nice friend.
Would hate to be on his poo list

From todays Altoona Mirror
In January two men were stopped on Interstate 99 near Osterberg in Bedford County in a silver Jaguar that court documents identified as belonging to Padilla. (The same one we all see being towed on the evening news possibly?) The men were arrested after state police at Bedford found a kilogram of cocaine and a half kilo of methamphetamine in the car

So let me see if I can get this right, an illegal immigrant, carrying an unregistered fire arm, driving a Jaguar with ( I think ) SC plates (most likely bogus since he's an illegal alien) that had previously been involved in drug related activities was able to roam the streets without a care in the world while the rest of us aren't even safe at work or in our homes with our doors locked?

I guess I have watched too much tv because I was under the misconception that the vehicle would have been seized with the 2 1/4 pounds of coke and 1.1 pound of meth, the drugs distroyed and the car auctioned off.
I guess no one saw any red flags when Mr Padilla retrieved his vehicle after his pals were busted with his car either? Ok.. If any of you had a Jag would you make a habit of loaning it out to your pals to go joy riding in? Nothing there saying they stole the car from him either. As much as I love my friends I wouldn't be giving up the keys to anyone.
The hows and whys of all this just disgusts me
It all just makes me sick.

Skate Toad · Post by **Skate Toad** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

Just another one to add to the list.....
Friday night my bandmates and friends went to the Knickerbocker for food and drink and around 12 we heard gun shots in the alley behind the courtyard. Turns out random shots were fired at a house and went clean thru and hit a car in the parking lot. That is the last place i would ever expect to see that happen. I grew up in that area and have and are still living in that area. (25 plus years) I always thought it was a safe section in town. At least this incident had very little to do with that establishment. We don't need anymore clubs/bar/venues getting bad reps. It's tough enough on the music scene with the noise gestapo, lack of open minded bodies to fill chairs, and honest clubs to play.

It's been a sad sad weekend!

P.S. A certain formentioned lawyer was at the KB friday when the shots went off. But i'm willing to bet he was too drunk and busy hitting on the 18 year old waitresses to relize what was happening!

Post by **Jim Price** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

The shooting behind the Knickerbocker also concerns me, as that alley is in very close proximity to my workplace! I left the station at 11 on Friday night to head to Peter C's, just before all the action took place.

I agree, the Knick is a nice place, and doesn't deserve scares like that.

nakedtwister · Post by **nakedtwister** » Monday Aug 29, 2005

Its a shame a piece of shit like that gets any representation at all, but hopefully he will end up in the right prison with the wrong man and vengence will be served. If anyone follows me?