When she pulled the plastic bag out of the garbage bin, it was clear that she was holding an actual gun.
The weapon appeared to be loaded, and she was immediately fearful the strange man might return.
Delonda went to the back to call the police and report the incident.
It wasn’t long before officers arrived at her restaurant to collect the weapon and examine it for evidence.
Officers asked Delonda for a description of the man’s features and behavior. Then they collected security footage and the weapon before leaving the restaurant.
After they were gone, she felt anxiety start to creep in.
She still had a lot of unanswered questions about the weapon, who the man was, and whether he was dangerous.
It would be days of wondering before she received a fateful call from the police department.
Police told her that they were conducting an ongoing investigation and thought they had finally caught the suspect.
He was being held at the Tampa Bay Police Department, and investigators were relying on Delonda to give them a positive identity in person.
