The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office says a Burger King employee flagged down an officer early Tuesday morning after she allegedly stabbed her coworker and lover to death . Orlando Sentinel reported that just before 2:30 a.m., 29-year-old Samantha L. Bonilla sent her coworker, Justin Hooks, also 29, of Spring Hill, a text message stating that she was on her way to Burger King, where they worked, to talk to him.
When she arrived, Hooks was sitting outside on the patio at the fast-food restaurant, playing cards with a male coworker. Not long after Bonilla approached Hooks, the pair began arguing about their relationship, which led to a brief scuffle, police say.
Surveillance footage captured the moment Bonilla supposedly pointed a knife at Hooks’ face. That’s when Hooks pushed her away, prompting her to fall to the ground. When she got up, she allegedly began stabbing him.
Afterward, Bonilla left the scene to get help. First responders transported Hooks to Halifax Health Hospital, but he did not survive. He was pronounced dead about an hour after his arrival.
Bonilla was arrested at the scene and booked into the Volusia County jail. She is facing second-degree murder charges.
Police officials say the suspect has a boyfriend, Donald Irving, but she was allegedly cheating on him with two of her coworkers. Irving, who has an 11-year-old son with Bonilla, found about the affairs when she was arrested.
Samantha Bonilla, 29, faces charge of second-degree murder in stabbing death of Burger King co-worker https://t.co/0McHRBONim pic.twitter.com/RBNE3fp1Gr
— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) April 3, 2018
In an emotional interview, he stated that he wishes he would have been there to stop the attack from taking place. Although he received devastating news about his girlfriend, he stated that he will be standing by her side for now for the sake of his family.
Irving stated that he is trying to “stay strong for his son.” He went on to say that he has yet to break the news to his son that his mother was arrested for allegedly murdering her co-worker at Burger King.
Bonilla told investigators that she is sorry for what she did and that her intentions were not to stab Hooks when she went to Burger King to speak with him.
Andrew Gant with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office called the fatal stabbing “senseless.” He added that “all these cases are, but this was really something because it didn’t have to get to this point.”
Bonilla is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Wednesday.
