Pizza shop owner killed longtime partner and restaurant co-owner and hid body for weeks, police say
Hilltown Township, Pa. — A Bucks County, Pa. pizza restaurant owner killed her longtime partner and shop co-owner and hid his body for weeks, police say.
They accused Anna Maria Tolomello of shooting Giovanni Gallina in the head, CBS Philly reports.
A small makeshift memorial for Gallina filled with candles and roses sprang up inside Pina's Pizza in New Britain, Pa.
"Right now, I am shaking," said Carlo Vitale, Gallina's nephew, who works at the pizza shop.
He's trying to keep the business up and running and says the news came as a shock.
"I still can't believe it. Everything that's happened. I still right now look like I wake up. I'm dreaming," Vitale said.
Gallina's son reported him missing after not hearing from him and Tolomello told him his father was out of town.
Police showed up at the couple's home with a search warrant Tuesday.
They say Tolomello told officers she knew why they were there and told them she shot Gallina out of self-defense on March 16. Officers found his body wrapped in a tarp in the master bedroom.
"The defendant was going to dispose of Mr. Gallina's body in a highly inappropriate way. Something that you would see straight out of the movies," Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said.
Chopper 3 spotted a huge hole next to the home.
As the investigation continues, the Bucks Bounty community is shaken.
"I was pretty surprised. This is a pretty quiet area," one man told CBS Philly.
"This hits the community very hard. These people were considered to be staples in their community. Pina's Pizza is a very well-known restaurant and pizza shop," Weintraub said.
Tolomello was arraigned Wednesday. She's facing criminal homicide and other charges.
