Funeral held for Miami man in face chewing attack

Rudy Eugene (undated mugshot)

(AP) MIAMI - Mourners are gathering to remember the man police say chewed off the face of a homeless man on a busy Miami highway.

A funeral was held Saturday for 31-year-old Rudy Eugene. Police shot and killed Eugene during a bizarre attack over Memorial Day weekend. The Miami Herald reported about 150 people attended the service.

The program handed out at the funeral described Eugene as "a boy who aspired to the best, to a man who was focused on enjoying his piece of the American dream" by owning a car-detailing business.

Eugene's brother, Marckenson Eugene, said his brother was always there for him and often helped him pay the bills when money was tight.

It's not clear what led to the attack on Ronald Poppo. The homeless man remains hospitalized.

Ronald Poppo, face-chewing victim, to have a long recovery
Yovonka Bryant, girlfriend of Fla. 'face-eating' man Rudy Eugene, says she 'felt safe' with him

[AnnieDanny]

It's very sad for the family of Mr. Eugene. Certainly he wasn't in his right mind when the attack happened. Very tragic for all concerned.

[Transatlantique]

Wow, some of the comments here are really presumptuous and judgmental. If he did get this drug, from the kind of person his brother remembers, it was given to him unbeknownst. We won't know until the toxicology report returns. So why are you jumping to conclusions?

[UForgotPoland]

"a boy who aspired to the best, to a man who was focused on enjoying his piece of the American dream" more like, "an insane man with a criminal record ate a man;s face because he is either a lunatic or didn't have the mental discipline to hold together his sanity on a drug."

[boocbsboooooooooo]

Booo, CBS, Booo! Mourn the worst society has to offer. Condemn those who deserve to be honored. Booooo!!!

[boocbsboooooooooo]

Really, this just bothers me. We have a drug that can be purchased over the counter that's turning people into zombies. No reporting about how we need to take this drug and ban it from the market. Make it punishable by life in prison if caught selling. Where the hell is the sanity, CBS?? I don't care who this person was before this drug, I want (and I think I speak for the majority) this f'ing drug off the streets! You, the media report what's right. No one cares about this piece of garbage who decided to put this crap in his system that turned him into Satan.

[Choons]

there is ZERO proof this guy was on drugs. In fact, I read that only marijuana has been found in his system. I don't like how kids are risking their health with those drugs either, but I REALLY don't like the media fabricating big "zombie drug" scares out of thin air. In the best case it's the media giving in to sensationalism, in the worst it's the media being manipulated to advance Drug War policy (which happens to be big business unto itself)

[andacar]

No doubt there will shortly be an advocacy group marching on the capitol demanding that face chewing druggies be allowed to exercise their legitimate alternative lifestyle.

[ripper1235]

Rot in hell scumbag. it's a damn shame u didn't get hit and killed by a car 18 minutes earlier.

[Transatlantique]

With a name like "ripper1235," you are telling someone to "rot in hell?" Be careful, you might find yourself standing next to him one day.

[allthegoodnamesaretaken1]

"It's not clear what led to the attack on Ronald Poppo." is this what passes for journalism these days? The attacker was high on a drug referred to as 'Bath Salts' (Methylenedioxypyrovalerone) which is a relative of Methamphetamine but also causes delusions and aggressive behavior (like eating peoples faces off, naked, on the freeway). I am sure that getting naked and eating a homeless persons face off made perfect sense to our dearly departed at the time.

[ffoulkes-2009]

Naw...this is just the beginning of the zombie apocalypse....