Dispatch: Eric Mandivelle, 20

Eric Mandivelle earned six dollars and eighty cents an hour working part-time at McDonald's in Long Beach.

He combined his money with the paychecks his sister Lavonne earned at her job as a nursing assistant. There was just enough for the pair to get by.

The siblings had been raised in foster care. They didn't know where their father was, said Lavonne, Eric's elder by five years. Their mother had drug problems and vanished. For years Lavonne thought she was dead.

When Lavonne turned 18, she was emancipated from foster care. She immediately took her brother out of the system to live with her. The two of them survived however they could, sometimes relying on motel vouchers from homeless shelters to stay off the streets.

They went to school. They worked. Eventually, they were able to afford a small apartment off an alley in North Long Beach. In front, men drank out of cans in paper bags and music from car stereos boomed. But it was an improvement on where they'd been.

Eric would start getting ready for work two hours before he had to leave. He shaved so closely that his neck was peppered with little nicks. He toiled over his shirts, which always looked crisply ironed. He put on his McDonald's apron and his hat. His sister marveled that he wasn't embarrassed to wear them on the bus. "Am I down?" he would ask her, worried that some part of him still did not look groomed. Then he set off, always forgetting to turn off the iron.

At work, his co-workers and bosses knew nothing of his history. He was a well-liked employee--quiet, earnest, clean-cut. He often asked his bosses how he was doing, how he could get better, said McDonald's supervisor Don Cunnane. "I still can't believe it. Such a good kid," he said.

He was shot at 1872 Locust Ave. in Long Beach as he headed to the local store to buy cigarettes around 2 a.m. Sunday, April 22. Later that morning, bosses at McDonald's noticed Eric hadn't shown up for work. Cunnane, the franchise supervisor, was so concerned that he came out to the crime scene.

In the days after, Lavonne cried on the floor and had visions of Eric. She thought he was trying to tell her who killed him. "It was just me and him," she said. "He was all I had left."

(A friend of Eric Mandivelle's scrubs a car at a street car wash held to raise funds for his funeral on Sunday, April 29, in Long Beach.--Francine Orr/LAT)

Comments

[stephanie]

Dear Ms. Lavonne,
I dont you or your brother, but I send my deepest condolence to you and your small child, left so alone and broken hearted. Your brother dose not want you to get to weak, he wants you to stay strong, so you can continue on with the plans you and he had to better your self, and with that MY DEAR, use that money to move out of LA, it will be alright just continue to trust in God.
Pray thur Jesus name and keep the faith, so that you and your small child will have a better quality of life. Any other state would accept you being a single parent/head of household, I know this.
I would properly be on disability if I live there always having to watch over my shoulders.
I would just like to say that sense I have been reading LATIMES.com it has truly sadden me, even though I dont live in LA and I never visit LA, and at this rated of death in LA, I never want me or my family members to ever visit LA. But I do have a one set of family members who has lived tthere for some years now, to bring it on back home, across country. The sinceless killings are totally out of control, get your families out of there now. Get the Hell out of there Central LA is straight Bull Sh T, it's not like one is being killed for millions dollars, all just because wrong place or the wrong color of clothes or skin, that Sh_t is fuc_en crazy, they dont have no real beef. I could go on and on after reading LATIMES.com for the last few months, I am critally helping my family out get out of LA's war zone, my cousin there, she too lost teen son and on that note I am surly helping to get my family out of LA. LA is for people with money, because if you cant afford to live in a much safer area it becomes nothing but all russian rolette, and that is so fuc_ed up. I say saved your monies and get the fuc_ out of LA as soon as you can, damm what is the life expectency there.
Where I am from the death rate is 7 in one year to LA's triple digit in a year.
Sick Sick Sick Sick bunch of indivuals out there, Leave by any means nessecary. LA probably have the highest death in the country next Iraq, get that. Bullsh t, understand, it's out of control, the positve people dont deserve this kind of life. It seem like it is only getting worst, get your family out of there.

God Bless you all that live in Central LA.
May God Bless this young brother, RIP and May God Bless his sister with the strenght and knowledge to get out of LA.
Peace Out.

[lavonnemandivelle]

I LOVE YOU BROTHER HOPE TO SEE YOU AGIN AND I MISS YOU EMONEY

[lavonnemandivelle]

MY E-MAIL sherrymand@yahoo.com or you call me at (562(704-7358 or (323)384-5856 THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS I DID GET BACK BUT IT DIDN'T SHOW SO I WELL GET BACK AGIN BECAUSE I'M STARTING TO CRY SO I NEED TO GO.

[lavonnemandivelle]

WELL I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS. AND I'M SOORY FOR NOT GETTING BACK SOONER BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN DOWING SO GOOD.I NEED HELP BECAUSE I'M LOSSING MY FATH IN GOD AND I DON'T NO WHAT TO DO I'M BACK IN SCHOOL FOR BUSINESS AN COMPUTER I'M TRYING TO GET IT RIGHT.BUT ITS NOT EAZY WITH OUT MY BROTHER BECAUSE WE WAS ONE.HIM AND MY DAUGHTR WAS ALL I HAD TO LIVE FOR.I LOVE YOU BROTHER AND YOU NO IT TO, I SAID IT ALL THE TIME TO YOU AND I DO I MISS YOU TO. WELL I NEED TO GO BECAUSE I'M STARTING TO CRY. MY E-MAIL IS SHERRYMAND@YAHOO.COM OR CALL ME AT (562)704-7358 OR(323)384-5856

[lavonne mandeville]

please contact me with any information at this e-mail address

[Sylvia (Silky)]

Please Id love to speak with her and inform her of an organization to help her in anyway cal S.T.E.V.I.E./ M.A.G. My heart truly goes out to her, I know her pain I too am still mourning the lost of my son Christopher 4 yrs ago please give her my eamil silkybo2@yahoo.com. God is in control and loves her.

[JENNIE RIVERA]

TO THE SISTER OF ERIC MANDEVILLE AM SORRY FOR YOUR BROTHERS LOST SO INNOCENT & A HARD WORKING GUY WELL I HOPE THEY CATCH THE BASTERD THAT DID THIS TO YOUR BROTHER SO IF YOU NEED HELP WITH THE FUNERAL YOU COULD E-MAIL ME AT MY E-MAIL ADRESS
LOVE + RESPECT JENNIE

[Steve]

Is there an address or account available in order to help with the funeral? Thank you, this is an especially sad tragedy and all my prayers go out to this fine young man's sister.

[Valerie]

To Whom it may concern: I was wondering if you could forward my email address to Mr. Mandeville sister. My family and I would like to invite her to become apart of our family. Any assistance you can offer me in getting in contact with her would be appreciated. Thanks Valerie