Robber Killed at Orland Park L.A. Tan Was 'Honeybee Killer,' Cops Say

After months of speculation, Gary L. Amaya, killed in December as he tried to rob an Orland Park tanning salon, was named the man behind the murder of an Indiana man in October.

In an announcement Tuesday, the Will County Sheriff's Office ended months of speculation by naming Gary Amaya, who was killed in December during an attempted robbery at an Orland Park tanning salon, as the "Honeybee Killer." The office named Amaya, 48, of Rankin, as the murderer of Rolando Alonzo, 45, of Hammond, IN, and the man who shot and robbed Lowell, IN, farmer Keith Dahl, both on Oct. 5. Alonzo was killed as he and two co-workers were at a job site in Will County. Dahl was shot in rural Lake County, IN. Dubbed the "honeybee killer" because he asked at least three people about honeybees before firing on them, the gunman was hunted throughout the south suburbs and Indiana without success. On Dec. 11, Amaya entered an Orland Park L.A…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Weekly Wrapup

What Made Headlines From Dec. 19-25

L-W East senior earns top athlete honors and we wrap up the holidays with lights, decorations and ugly sweaters.

"I will always remember playing the sport I love with my best friends. The times we had in both practices and games were something I will never forget. I wish it never had to end." --Pat Meehan, linebacker for Lincoln-Way East High School who earned Patch's top fall athlete honors in the Frankfort/Mokena area last week. Seats Illinois will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to U.S. Census data released last week, the state lost a seat to appropriation. The tanning shop where an armed robber who could be connected to a murder and other shootings was stopped by a customer reopened its doors last week, four days after the incident. Management says regular customers have returned. The New Lenox family lost its house and…

• Photos (3)

Through Tears, L.A. Tan Clerk Makes 911 Call

WARNING-GRAPHIC CONTENT: The 911 call from a female clerk at L.A. Tan made just after Jason McDaniel took the gun from Gary Amaya.

Orland Park police on Friday released a recording of the 911 call made by a clerk at L.A. Tan just after Jason McDaniel thwarted an armed Gary Amaya. McDaniel can be heard firing the gun at Amaya after the assailant moved toward him. Amaya said he was there to rob the salon, and ordered the clerk to tie herself. McDaniel arrived for an appointment minutes later and was told to do the same, but McDaniel rushed Amaya when he bent over to pick up an item. Amaya later died from the wound. Police later determined the Colt .38 Special revolver found at L.A. Tan was the same weapon used in the "honeybee" shootings, where one man died and two others were injured in October. Amaya's vehicle, found in a nearby parking lot, also matches descriptions …

•  2 Comments
• Videos (1)

Reopened L.A. Tan Feels 'Love' For Curious Customers

The tanning salon's management said owners have installed new surveillance cameras and panic buttons to make staff and customers feel safe.

L.A. Tan reopened its doors last Wednesday, only four days after an armed robber who could be connected to a murder and other shootings was thwarted by a dexterous customer. Assistant manager Danielle McKeown said the tanning salon's owners have beefed up security systems to make the "shaken-up" staff feel more comfortable as they put the attack behind them. "We got new cameras, we got new panic buttons," she said. "We're feeling a lot more safe now than we did before." Rankin resident Gary Amaya walked into the Orland Park L.A. Tan on Dec. 11, pulled out a handgun and calmly announced he was robbing the salon. In surveillance footage, a young female clerk behind the counter can be seen reaching for a phone but stopping as she'd …

• Photos (1)

Sheriffs Say Many Signs Point to Amaya as 'Honeybee' Killer

Ballistics on the gun used in the foiled L.A. Tan robbery match those in the "honeybee" case. And a witness says Gary Amaya is the man who shot at him.

More signs point toward foiled L.A. Tan robber Gary Amaya as the man responsible for an October shooting spree, but investigators are still reviewing evidence before making a final call. The gun used by Amaya while trying to rob an Orland Park tanning salon last weekend matched the weapon used in the "honeybee" attacks, Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas said Thursday. "The weapon, projectiles from Lake County, Will County and Orland Park were then prepared by the lab," Kaupas said. "The projectiles were all found to come from the same weapon, the Colt .38 Special found at (L.A. Tan)." The "honeybee killer" is responsible for three attacks in October that left one man dead and two others injured. Dubbed the "honeybee killer" because he asked …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (5)
• Videos (1)

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO (unedited): Watch as Hero Thwarts L.A. Tan Robbery and Kills Gunman

The robber watches, gun in hand, as the clerk fumbles with the rope, surveillance footage released Tuesday night shows. Then a customer seizes the moment and saves the day.

Gary Amaya went into L.A. Tan in Orland Park Saturday night with a .38-caliber pistol in his pocket. Less than 10 minutes later, the rotund gunman was on the floor, beaten and shot. Jason McDaniel told reporters that he decided on a whim to stop by the L.A. Tan, at 15633 S. 94th Ave., about 6:30 p.m. Amaya, 48, had already tied up the clerk. He ordered McDaniel, 29, to tie himself as well. Amaya then put the pistol down on a counter and bent over to pick up an item he dropped. McDaniel rushed Amaya with a good 10 feet between the two men and they struggled. Within a minute, McDaniel grabbed the gun, struck Amaya in the head with it and fired. The clerk called 911 and tried to untie herself. Amaya was shot in his side, and died an hour …

•  9 Comments
• Videos (1)
• Documents (1)

chris johnston

11:44 am on Saturday, December 18, 2010

Next time you see him or his family, let them know Chris from high school has never been more proud of anyone before. His instincts, his read of the situation, his strength, and speed all made him the perfect person at the perfect time. God truly used him in this situation to stop a serial killer who had been terrorizing my neighborhood back in October. I hope his family is well.   more ›

Will County Won't Confirm Whether Gun Used in L.A. Tan Robbery is Weapon From 'Honeybee' Attacks

As police pursue leads that may tie the slain stickup man to the "honeybee killer" case, L.A. Tan thanks the customer who disarmed and shot the would-be robber, calling him "our Superman."

The .38-caliber pistol held by a man in an attempted robbery Saturday at L.A. Tan in Orland Park Saturday — who was then shot with the gun when a customer took it from him — might be the same weapon used in a series of October shootings in Indiana and Illinois, sources have told several news outlets. But authorities have not confirmed on the record information about test results on the weapon. "Will County detectives are actively working on the investigation and until it is completed there will be no further information/comments released," Kathy Hoffmeyer, spokeswoman for the Will County Sheriff's Office, wrote in an email Tuesday. Gary Amaya walked into L.A. Tan Saturday night with a gun and rope, intent on robbery. But when Jason …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (4)

Could Orland Salon Stickup Be Tied to 'Honeybee Killer'?

A salon customer struggled with a stickup man at L.A. Tan in Orland and shot the would-be robber after taking away his gun. Now cops are looking into whether the slain gunman may be tied to October's spree shootings in rural Will County and Indiana.

Update, 10:29 p.m. The gunman killed while trying to hold up an Orland Park tanning salon may be connected to the "honeybee killer" case that gripped the south suburbs a few months ago. The Will County Sheriff's Office is "looking closely" at the robber, who was shot to death with his own gun after a struggle with a salon customer, reports the Chicago Tribune, citing unnamed sources. The "honeybee killer" fatally shot one person and wounded two others in a two-state shooting spree in October. The slain gunman is identified in the story as Gary Amaya, 48, of Rankin. A representative from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Sunday night that Gary Amaya died from a gunshot wound to the chest. Original post, 12:03 p.m An …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)