Deputies: Woman shot, killed in attempted food truck robbery

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Food truck operators banded together Sunday night after a woman was shot and killed in her food truck during an attempted robbery.

Investigators said two men armed with a gun barged into the food truck on East Colonial Drive around 2:30 a.m. in an apparent robbery attempt.

A struggle ensued between a male food truck employee and the suspects. Officials said at some point during the confrontation, the gun went off and shot 65-year-old Mireya Alvarado in the chest.
She was rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Officials said the suspects fled the scene on foot. Investigators told WFTV the suspects said something to the man during the attempted robbery, but he isn't sure what they were saying because he does not speak English.

Deputies said they are following leads but there are not many witnesses, as it had been raining at the time.

Investigators have only described the suspects as two Hispanic or black males in their early 20s.

Friends of Averado gathered together and lit candles to remember the fallen food truck operator Sunday night.

The former nurse moved to Orlando and worked at the food truck with her husband to pay the bills.

"It's just a waste. It shouldn't happen," said Alvarado's friend Mavis Almestica.

Alvarado's truck often stayed open late to cater to nearby bar and nightclub crowds.

"I said, "Wow!" This was hard for me to believe because she was a nice person," said Averado's friend Porfilo Gomez.

Those who don't even know Alvarado gathered near the Fashion Square Mall to help collect money for her family.

"It's a hard, tough, difficult job. Especially at 2:30 a.m. at night, so my condolences to the family," said Mark Baratelli, a food truck event organizer.

"It was definitely startling. I feel for her and her family," said Virginia Rohrborn, a food truck operator.

WFTV