CHARLOTTE — Co-workers at Manolo’s Bakery in east Charlotte are reeling after a beloved member of the staff died in a crash this past weekend.
Angelina Chicas started working at Manolo’s Bakery to make money for her family; now, the bakery says they’re rallying to complete the mission she started.
Channel 9’s Ken Lemon went to the bakery on Monday. Owner Manolo Betancur said their newest hire brightened everyone’s day, and now she’s gone.
“It’s a moment of sorrow and a moment of pain,” Betancur said.
Chicas had just started at the bakery about two months ago. Betancur says it’s different when an immigrant comes to work at a business built by immigrants.
“As an immigrant, when we left our countries, the place we work became our family, because many times we don’t have many more relatives,” Betancur told Lemon.
In two months, Chicas became family. Betancur’s wife helped train her.
“She was always asking us, ‘Help me, teach me,’” Betancur said.
He said she smiled even when things weren’t going well.
On Saturday night, Chicas left work and crashed with another car less than a mile away. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said she was killed while attempting to turn onto N. Sharon Amity Road.
“Some of the members [Sunday], they couldn’t believe it, I have to hug them,” Betancur said.
One baker was sobbing as she tried to decorate a cake. Betancur said he gathered everyone to pray.
“It was the first time in 28 years we lost a team member that young,” Betancur said.
They decided to use the bakery’s Facebook page to share the family’s GoFundMe campaign, raising money for Chicas’ burial.
“She was working here because she wanted to help her mother,” Betancur said.
He said they wanted to do more for the family, who is likely grieving as much at home as they are at work.
Betancur says it even hurts waiting to learn what caused the crash that broke their hearts.
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