Residents remember shooting victim Tyree Wimberly, vow to close Allentown strip club (2024)

Tyree Wimberly remembrance vigil May 8,2013

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(Gallery by Bill Adams | The Express-Times)

's family and friends described him as someone who'd do anything for anyone.

Sad? He'd make you laugh, his former coworker Julisa Bonilla said. Cold? He'd give you his jacket, his brother Lquell Wimberly said. Alone? He'd walk you home, his friend Jesse Miller said.

The 21-year-old was shot Jan. 26 in

near the city's

border and

, dying hours later at St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill.

Today, Wimberly's loved ones and other community members marked what would have been his 22nd birthday during a vigil across the street from Scoobies.

The group of about 40 people, among them Wimberly's mother, brother, girlfriend and infant son, also reaffirmed their commitment to closing the strip club --

-- for good.

Area residents, led by Bethlehem Area School Board member Basilio Bonilla, say Scoobies is a magnet for trouble and that shutting down the 2327 Hanover Ave. strip club could save lives. They are

, so far gathering about 1,000 signatures from people who support the cause, Bonilla said.

, of the 2300 block of South Alice Street in Allentown. The 20-year-old homicide suspect is still at large and local law enforcement have enlisted the aid of federal authorities in their search for him.

, who is known to travel between the Lehigh Valley and New York City. His last known address was in the 900 block of Walnut Street in Allentown.

Speaking at today's vigil,

assured Wimberly's mother, Valerie, that authorities are working hard to track down Rodriguez and bring him to justice. "We're doing everything we can to catch this guy," he said. "If we can get him, we're going to get him. We're covering the bases."

Pawlowski said violence has no place in Allentown or Bethlehem, and hurts not only victims and their families, but everyone who lives or works in a community.

Police say Rodriguez offered Wimberly marijuana at Eaton and Club avenues, around the corner from Scoobies. When Wimberly declined, the men argued and Rodriguez shot him in the chest, at about 1:30 a.m., police say.

He and others who reside near the strip club should be able to walk in the neighborhood at night without looking over their shoulders, Bonilla said. Wimberly's death has robbed them of that privilege, he said.

"We have the right to live in a community without fear, Bonilla said.

Osvaldo Cruz Jr., a pastor at The Center Church in South Side Bethlehem, led a prayer, asking God to comfort Wimberly's family and speed police efforts to apprehend Rodriguez. Others chatted about time spent with Wimberly and added candles, flowers or homemade signs to a makeshift memorial for him at a utility pole on Hanover Avenue.

The fire at Scoobies caused about $30,000 damage to the strip club's first floor, enough to keep it closed "for the foreseeable future," according to Assistant Fire Chief Lee Laubach. Firefighters were called to the building about 3 a.m. and spent about 20 minutes reining in the blaze, which began in the bar area, he said.

The strip club was unoccupied when the fire broke out and no one was hurt, Laubach said. The fire's cause remains under investigation, he said, noting "We're looking at everything."

Pawlowski said Allentown police have stepped up patrols in the area since Wimberly's shooting and that the city officials will make sure the building's up to code when Scoobies looks to reopen after the fire.

He explained that residents face an uphill battle in their fight to close the strip club permanently. Scoobies doesn't have a liquor license -- it's a bring-your-own-bottle establishment -- and so can't be targeted under Pennsylvania's nuisance bar laws.

, but a review of police records show there have been no major incidents there, Pawlowski said.

The building's use is grandfathered into the city's zoning ordinance and has housed strip clubs -- with different names and owners -- for 20 years, he said. "As a citizen, I'd like to see it go away," Pawlowski said. "As the mayor, I have to follow the the law."

A message left on strip club's voicemail was not returned today, but the manager has said Wimberly's death, while tragic, is not related to Scoobies.

Contact Lehigh County suburbs reporter Precious Petty at 484-894-3854 or ppetty@express-times.com.