Dave Perritt always knew Mission was filled with strong, community-minded people, but events of the recent week have reinforced that belief.
Perritt owns Grab-A-Java Coffee House and Roasterie on Seventh Avenue, and Brittany, the sister of 18-year-old Rachel Pernosky who was found murdered last Tuesday, is one of his employees.
, Grab-A-Java became a central meeting spot from which groups would head out to search and put up missing posters throughout the area.
And once the tragic news came of her death, close friends have been leaving flowers, candles and donations for Pernosky鈥檚 18-month-old son, Marco.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been quite a large amount of support. It shows the sense of community we have in Mission,鈥� said Perritt. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 surprise me, but it made me proud to be a Missionite.鈥�
Dozens of people have been 鈥渃oming out of the woodwork鈥� and offering to help, he noted, including one woman who said she would knit clothes for Marco.
Perritt established an account through Envision Financial (account number 458 853 9) where people can directly deposit funds, and he has made several trips with hundreds of dollars collected from the jar at the coffee shop.
Before last Thursday鈥檚 which drew between 300-400 people, a smaller, private one was held at Grab-A-Java. About 30 people were present, said Perritt.
Mission RCMP first put out the missing person report about Rachel mid-afternoon March 18. She had last been seen around 12:30 a.m. March 17 at her home in the 7700 block of Kite Street. Her cell phone and purse were still inside the house.
A passerby in , and the file was turned over to the RCMP鈥檚 Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT).
A press conference on March 19 saw IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Jennifer Pound say they do not have any suspects or motive, but believed the attack was not random.
鈥淩achel was just 18 years old and a mother of a baby when her life was brutally taken from her.
鈥淭he person(s) who murdered her have left a hole in the lives of those who loved her, and child who will be without his mom,鈥� she said.
鈥� For the most recent details, and photos from last week鈥檚 candlelight vigil, please visit missioncityrecord.com.
