Friends, Family Remember Man Killed During Bank Robbery
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Vincent "Mystro" Kelley was "Born to be Wild" in the very best sense.
"When he saw trouble he put himself in middle of it - he was a peacekeeper," said friend Jared Cameron.
The 45-year-old member of the "Brothers of the Hammer" motorcycle club never passed by if he was needed.
"He would do anything for anybody and he will be missed," said friend Kathy Bugaile.
Kelley loved riding his Kawaswaki Vulcan 1500, he called her "Gypsy."
"No matter where he went rain or shine he was on her," said Bugaile.
"He's a hero to me - and he should be a hero to everybody else," said Cameron.
Cameron was with Kelley in the South Strabane Giant Eagle on Sunday picking up a few things for Father's Day dinner when the screaming began. A man jumped over the counter of the store's Citizen's Bank. Kelley chased the robber from the store ending in a confrontation inside the getaway car.
"At that point the guy had reached over and pulled the trigger," Cameron said.
The good Samaritan died of multiple gunshots -- Cameron think's his friend went after the robber to keep others from getting hurt.
"Hands down, he was definitely trying to protect every other person in that store," he said.
"He was just amazing," Kelley's daughter, Sierra, said. "There was nobody on this town who could say anything mean about him."
His 19-year-old daughter and the rest of the family are only beginning to understand their loss.
"For a person to take his life the way they did, they just don't know him," she said.
This was to be a special Father's Day with his first grandson, 9-month-old Romeo.
"And He just loved his grandson," Kelley said.
Kelly will be buried with the top hat he sported riding his bike and will be remembered for his smile and big heart.
"He could walk into a room full of sad people," his daughter said, "make them happy in an instant - just by him walking in the room you could just feel his love."
A vigil was also held Monday night outside the Giant Eagle where the robbery took place.
A minister, Kim Asbury, said she didn't know if she would have have chased the robber, like Kelley did.
She described what he did as "a selfless act."
Lesa Kovacicek told KDKA's Ralph Iannotti that she often mentioned to Kelley that, "it would be a perfect world, if there were more people in it like you."
Police continue to search for he bank robber who shot Kelley.
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