A woman who had appeared from nowhere claiming to be the cousin of the 14-year-old boy who tragically fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride was fired from her job after authorities found out she is not related to the family. The woman was fired from a strip club for deceiving the public.
Soon after the tragic incident, the woman appeared and identified herself as Shay Johnson. She was interviewed by multiple local news outlets, telling reporters that she was the cousin of Tyre Samson, who fatally fell from the Free-Fall ride at ICON Park in Orlando.
The impostor told reporters that she wanted the Park to be shut down permanently as she had people sign a petition and led a vigil for the victim outside the attraction.
“We want Justice,” the impostor yelled, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s report.
A subsequent investigation was launched into the impostor’s identity after local sources including the Sentinel and WFTV, said they had doubts about her identity.
The 32-year-old imposter’s real name is Lewishena Lavonia, an Orlando resident who is awaiting trial on felony arson and criminal mischief charges for allegedly setting a car on fire in August last year, according to the paper.
She had been fired from the strip club where she worked as a dancer.
“I feel terrible about it,” the jiggle joint’s owner William Sierer told the Sentinel, saying the woman goes by “Shay” but that the club has her real name on file.
“For her to go on national TV and claim that she’s related to someone just to better herself, it just crossed the line and I felt really horrible for the family,” he said.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the paper that detectives have contacted the victim’s mother, who told them “she does not know who Shay Johnson is.”
However, detectives said they had no evidence that any crimes were committed.
