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Durango slaying suspect charged

The St. Petersburg man, the restaurant's maintenance worker, is accused of killing the steakhouse's assistant manager.

By CRAIG PITTMAN
Published December 17, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Early Monday, an exterminator found the assistant manager of a Durango Steakhouse dead in the restaurant.

On Friday afternoon, St. Petersburg police arrested the restaurant's maintenance man as he pulled into the parking lot.

This morning, the victim will be buried.

Police charged Wilson Saintil, 51, of St. Petersburg with killing Stephen F. Holmes, 29, at the restaurant, 3901 Fourth St. N.

Detectives said robbery appeared to be the motive because money was missing from the restaurant. They would not disclose the amount.

Saintil handled maintenance for the steakhouse for several years and worked for other area restaurants as well, police said. That gave him access to the Durango after hours.

"He had a key to the business," police spokesman Bill Proffitt said.

Police said they arrested Saintil "based on physical evidence located at the crime scene which connected him to the crime." Proffitt would not identify the evidence but said police had not recovered any of the missing money.

One thing that did not match: the vehicle Saintil was driving when arrested.

Other Durango employees said they last saw Holmes, who recently was promoted to assistant manager, about 10 p.m. Sunday. Holmes told his wife by phone that he had to finish some paperwork.

Shortly after midnight, an exterminator making his rounds at the restaurant discovered Holmes with what police called "severe upper body trauma."

A witness across the street from the restaurant told police that minutes before Holmes' body was found, he saw a small white pickup speed out of the parking lot, drive over the median on Fourth Street and speed away southbound.

The witness said the truck, an early 1990s model, had a yellow stripe or stripes down the side. The back gate was rusted, the license plate light was out and the muffler was loud.

When police arrested Saintil about 4:45 p.m. Friday, he was driving a white Dodge van.

It was unclear if Saintil is connected to the pickup, Proffitt said.

Saintil, who was born in Haiti, has lived in Florida since at least 1975. Records show that in 1982 he was convicted in Miami-Dade County of robbery, aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon.

Records show he has been divorced at least three times, most recently in March. Last year, his then-wife got a temporary domestic violence injunction against him, but it was dismissed earlier this year. More than once he has been pursued in court for not paying child support.

A man who answered Saintil's home phone number said the family had no comment.

Holmes was a St. Petersburg native who graduated from Northeast High School and was an aspiring musician. He played bass and keyboards. Next month, the group was to play for his 30th birthday.

Holmes' widow, Jennifer, could not be reached for comment Friday night. In an interview Thursday, she said she was having trouble coping with a tragedy so close to Christmas and knew it was affecting their 8-year-old son, Mikey.

Holmes' funeral today is at Holy Family Catholic Church in St. Petersburg. The public is invited to the 9:30 a.m. service, followed by burial.

Times staff researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

[Last modified December 17, 2005, 01:00:13]