I dropped by Desta last night to see what’s been going on with the Ethiopian restaurant ever since the owners, Yayehyirad Lemma and Yenenesh Desta, were found shot dead in front of their house after a long night’s work at their restaurant on August 15. For the past two weeks, mourners have been leaving fresh flowers in front of the empty Ethiopian restaurant, which is now temporarily closed until further notice.
DMN reported last week that a Dallas man named Abey Belette Girma, 37, is believed to have shot the married couple with a pistol because he claimed the two had “disrespected” him. Apparently, Girma was a customer at Desta.
Hopefully, the restaurant will be up and running again. Mac Mckennon, Executive Director of the Mutual Assistance Association For The Ethiopian Community, says the family is still hurting and figuring out what they will do with Desta. Mckennon plans to address the tragedy at the first Taste of Ethiopia this coming weekend at the Plano Centre, which will celebrate the Ethiopian food community in Dallas. “We cannot not say anything about what happened,” says Mckennon. He’s right: Desta will be sorely missed during all the festivities.
