EAST POINT, Ga., July 31, 2007

Cops: Boss Kills Workers Asking For Raises

Georgia Car Dealer Admits To Shooting His Only 2 Employees, Police Say

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(AP)  The owner of a car dealership has been accused of killing two employees because they kept asking for pay raises.

Rolandas Milinavicius has been charged with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of Inga Contreras, 25, and Martynas Simokaitis, 28.

All three are from the eastern European nation of Lithuania but had been living in Atlanta, authorities said.

Milinavicius, who was having financial problems, told police he shot the two Thursday after they kept asking for more pay, said police in East Point, which is just outside Atlanta.

"He told us that he was under a lot of stress," East Point police Capt. Russell Popham said. "Unfortunately, he decided to take his anger out with violence."

Milinavicius, who had been living in Alpharetta, started RM Auto International two years ago, hoping to meet the demand for American cars in Lithuania. He began shipping cars and later hired the two victims as his only employees.

Milinavicius, 38, turned himself in two days after the shootings and confessed to the killings, Popham said.

"As I understand, the employees were not really happy about the pay, and they had questioned him about it over the course of time," Popham said. "That morning he said he just snapped."

Contreras and Simokaitis were cremated and an informal memorial service was held at Simokaitis' cousin's apartment over the weekend. The remains were to be flown to Lithuania on Tuesday.

"It doesn't make any sense," the cousin, Jaunius Simokaitis, of Fayetteville, said Monday. "If he was having money problems, these two would have been the ones to help him get out of debt. They would have helped him make that money."

© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Add a Comment See all 37 Comments
by willylou11 July 31, 2007 10:20 AM PDT
Wonder if the guy offers a 401k or any kind of health benefits.
Reply to this comment
by rushman71 July 31, 2007 10:22 AM PDT
"You wanna raise!!! I'll give you a raise. Say hello to my little 5% increase!!!!" POP, POP, POP, POP.......
Reply to this comment
by omega39-2009 July 31, 2007 10:26 AM PDT
Gee, you think he would of falsified some immigration documents and brought in a couple of low wage H1Bs like American Business men if he didn't want to pay fair wages.
Reply to this comment
by mnelsonix July 31, 2007 10:36 AM PDT
All middle managers and small business owners should print this story and post it in their offices while giving perfomance reviews.

"OK...let me see...are you asking for a raise?" LMAO.
Reply to this comment
by carolrhill July 31, 2007 10:37 AM PDT
This is really sick story but nothing today surprises me nothing and that is really sick to say but it is true.
I guess he wanted to make sure nobody asks that question again.
I guess he did not want to "fire" them so he made sure they won't ask that question again.
Reply to this comment
by gopack443 July 31, 2007 10:48 AM PDT
Just when I finally get up the courage to ask for a raise I read this!!!!!
Reply to this comment
by incog-nito July 31, 2007 10:53 AM PDT
The owner told police he felt ready bad afterwards and now has decided to give the two employees their raises.
Reply to this comment
by olebd July 31, 2007 11:21 AM PDT
I knew these car dealer types were sleazy!!! Even if they are Lith-a-whatean.

His defense may be that he was paying them in lead which is really quite valuable.
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug July 31, 2007 11:23 AM PDT
A raise and time off, happy, happy, joy, joy ! !
Reply to this comment
by prinzowhales July 31, 2007 11:40 AM PDT
Now, it remains to be seen whose sharks he was into, for how much...what kind of cash flow was generated by the operation...and just what might have been smuggled into Lithuania with the cars.
Reply to this comment
by crystalblue3 July 31, 2007 11:46 AM PDT
Gopack...I totally agree! I swear to God I was sitting down with my boss at the end of this week to discuss an increase in my salary.

.....
Reply to this comment
by drivelphobe July 31, 2007 12:13 PM PDT
He didn't kill them, he hastened their death like the Iranian doctor. Maybe this is new terminology to help reduce the sentencing requirements. How silly, asking for a raise. This ought to be a warning to employees everywhere. Don't work for Lithuanians.
Reply to this comment
by gunnerv1 July 31, 2007 12:15 PM PDT
Should've seen Alton Brown, this wouldn't have happened
Reply to this comment
by gunshack1 July 31, 2007 12:25 PM PDT
My boss has been acting a little twichy lately. Maybe I'd better lay low for a while.
Reply to this comment
by gunshack1 July 31, 2007 12:28 PM PDT
Guns don't kill people, people who get asked for a raise, kill people.
Reply to this comment
by rushman71 July 31, 2007 12:29 PM PDT
Watch, now because of this occurance, the demand for higher wages will drop tremendously!!!
Reply to this comment
by harp1963 July 31, 2007 12:35 PM PDT
Must have been a Republican. "You want me to raise your pay from $2.00 an hour to $3.00." Bang bang bang "D amn ungrateful workers."
Reply to this comment
by olebd July 31, 2007 12:48 PM PDT
This is certainly a new twist to being laid off.
I bet business owners across this country would like to make him Man of the Year!
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug July 31, 2007 1:03 PM PDT
Ok, everybody back to work.
Reply to this comment
by hwy71so July 31, 2007 1:10 PM PDT
Wonder if that SOP in Lithuania... ??
Reply to this comment
by sugarmice-2009 July 31, 2007 1:49 PM PDT
on a "serious note" if he was having financial problems - you would think the employees would know being only 3 of them - owner and 2 employees. Did he get caught by the state for not paying/carrying workers comp? What about payroll taxes - perhaps he never paid them and the irs and state were after him and that will make anyone snap because if you ever had to deal with a federal or state employee about a tax return it's a nightmare. More so when you call and get someone who barely speaks english.. welcome to california... anyways - money always seems to bring the "bad" out in people..
well, what he did was totally wrong and he will have to PAY now more than ever - wouldn't be surprised if the family sue for wrongful death - maybe they can make the dealership work...
Reply to this comment
by susanhelit July 31, 2007 1:55 PM PDT
I wonder if the reason they didn't go find another job was because they weren't integrated enough to work anyplace but a specifically Lithuanian shop? English problems, cultural issues, etc.?
Reply to this comment
by feedback3-2009 July 31, 2007 1:58 PM PDT
I was also wondering if this was more about the ontology of the Lithuanian cultural milieu, or just some crazy idiot with a gun.
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso21 July 31, 2007 3:57 PM PDT
Russian/Soviet mafia? Let's guess....none were actually legally in this country right? We are taking the dregs of the entire world in....talk about drastic--and here we were, worrying about lay offs, outsourcing and insourcing. It could be worse...corporations could just kill troublesome employees.
Reply to this comment
by gmond July 31, 2007 4:34 PM PDT
His unemployment insurance premiums must have been too high.
Reply to this comment
by incog-nito July 31, 2007 4:47 PM PDT
While in custody the owner told police he has changed his mind, and has now decided to give the employees the raise they so richly deserved.
Reply to this comment
by rudy654-2009 July 31, 2007 5:02 PM PDT
While in custody the owner told police he has changed his mind, and has now decided to give the employees the raise they so richly deserved.
Posted by incog-nito at 04:47 PM : Jul 31, 2007

His unemployment insurance premiums must have been too high.
Posted by gmond at 04:34 PM : Jul 31, 2007

I wonder if the reason they didn't go find another job was because they weren't integrated enough to work anyplace but a specifically Lithuanian shop? English problems, cultural issues, etc.?
Posted by SusanHelit at 01:55 PM : Jul 31, 2007

How about the guy committed murder and now should suffer the consequences, and his bloody excuse won't work? Classic idea, eh? Go find another job? Puleeeezee!!!!! What's wrong with all of you that this is some kind of joke, yet on another article you are having fits about dog fights? Good grief!!
Reply to this comment
by timincal July 31, 2007 5:03 PM PDT
I wonder if this dipstick ever thought that the reason there wasn't a big demand for American autos in his home country was because you can't easily get parts and nobody knows how to repair them? Would have been better off going home and opening a dealership there.
Reply to this comment
by jonesforch July 31, 2007 7:30 PM PDT
once again a story CBS was in such big hurry to print. Did not get all the story or facts.
Reply to this comment
by jonesforch July 31, 2007 7:30 PM PDT
once again a story CBS was in such big hurry to print. Did not get all the story or facts.
Reply to this comment
by agnim July 31, 2007 9:49 PM PDT
"We are taking the dregs of the entire world in....
Posted by toldyouso21 at 03:57 PM : Jul 31, 2007"

You Native American and not 'dregs', right?
Reply to this comment
by incog-nito July 31, 2007 10:32 PM PDT
So does this mean that they won't be getting a raise?
Reply to this comment
by gmond August 1, 2007 12:09 AM PDT
One more - People are just dying to work there.
Reply to this comment
by randalds August 1, 2007 12:34 AM PDT
I thought only Cheney did this?
Reply to this comment
by randalds August 1, 2007 2:12 AM PDT
"D*mnit Boss, I'll just die if I don't get that raise"......"OH SHI"..BLAM..BLAM..BLAM....
Posted by veteran71 at 12:42 AM : Aug 01, 2007

Sure would make Blonde Bumsted a widow fast if all bosses were like this. Dagwood seems to ask for a raise every other week.
Reply to this comment
by brianbwb-2009 August 1, 2007 7:57 AM PDT
Ah, the smell of gunpowder in the morning. How I love "trickle down heaven", I just lowered my labor cost, without arbitration, and if I say they were Muslims, maybe I'll be a hero on *********...
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by theonly50 August 1, 2007 10:51 AM PDT
number one. they were all legally here.
number two. american cars are very popular in lithuania and eastern europe.
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