Students learn about becoming victims

BY MICHELLE HAMMONTREE-GARCIA

Miami-Dade school instructor Angel Menendez held up a dusty poster before a group of high school seniors. The poster bore the image of his former student, Shannon Melendi, and the words: kidnapped, rapped and murdered while at college.

His warning: don't be a victim.

You don't want to end up on a crumbled up, old poster in the back of someone's closet, said Menendez, 57, who was Melendi's teacher, mentor and soccer coach at Southwest High School.

Menendez joined Melendi's father, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and local law enforcement officers for a presentation promoting safety awareness in Felix Varela Senior High School, 15255 SW 96th St., Monday morning. Coined Shannon Melendi Safety Day, the assembly was held for seniors, many who are going to college in the fall.

Shannon Melendi, 19, was a sophomore at Emory University and scorekeeper at a nearby softball park in suburban Atlanta. She left during a break between two games on March 26, 1994, and never returned. Her car was found the next day at a nearby gas station, the keys still in the ignition. Her body was never found.

 In September 2005, former airline mechanic Colvin ``Butch'' Hinton III was convicted in the killing and sentenced to life in prison.

The group that spoke at Varela students have made a point of speaking at local high schools to urge students to be aware as they venture into unfamiliar surroundings.

Menendez, who now teaches at Palmetto High, said Melendi made three mistakes: she left with someone she didn't know, she got in his car and when threatened, she didn't make a scene.

Colvin confessed to luring her away from an Atlanta softball game where she was a scorekeeper and he was an umpire March, 26 1994. He later told police that he forced her to drive to his house at knifepoint, where he raped and killed her. Those facts were relayed to the students.

The details caused senior class president Erikamarie Gil's skin to tighten with goosebumps and students learn about becoming victims filled her eyes with tears.

``I would never think of making a scene if I was being threatened, said Erikamarie, who wants to be a physician assistant. Now I know to do whatever I can do to avoid being isolated with a stranger.

Angus Butler, chief of Miami-Dade Police Department's criminal investigations unit, urged the students to trust their instincts, and leave uncomfortable situations.

They base their work on their ability to fool you. It will probably be someone charming and witty. Once they isolate you, it is too late.

Melendi graduated in 1992 in the top three percent of her class. She was the president of her junior and senior class and the captain of the debate team for three years. She played soccer and competed in Miami-Dade county mock trial competitions.

At Emory, she majored in political science and Spanish. She wanted to go to law school and join the Navy. Her ultimate goal was to serve on the United States Supreme Court.

She showed nothing but greatness, said Luis Melendi, Shannon's father, who moved to Key Largo with his wife six years ago. She might not be here but my hope is that we are saving children in her name.

Hinton will be eligible for parole in 2011. The Melendis have started a petition to keep him in prison, along with Ros-Lehtinen, who urged the students and others to sign.

We will never be satisfied with our count. However, five names per page approximately 10 inches deep is a beautiful stack, said Ros-Lehtinen.

After the presentation, Nicole Hodes, 17, student government president, also wanted to help. She started a Facebook group named We Support Shannon Melendi, where users can access the petition to keep Hinton in prison.

It frustrated me, but in a good way. I started thinking about all the different ways I could help, said Nicole, a senior who plans to attend the University of Central Florida and major in physical therapy. What is going to happen if he is paroled? Who will he hurt next?

In seven hours the group had 375 members, with more joining.

Yvonne Melendi, Shannon's mother, late Monday read the page and thought about Shannon.

I think my daughter would have done the same had someone brought the same message to her school.