Phoebe Judge

I'm Phoebe Judge. Listen to part one of The Roof Man right now on Criminal. And listen to part two early by becoming a member of Criminal Plus.

Twenty-five years ago, Mervat Fayyad was working at a McDonald's at the corner of North Main and Route 74 in Belmont, North Carolina, outside of Charlotte. She was just out of high school. We met Mervat at McDonald's to talk about one morning in May of 2000, when she arrived to open the restaurant around 5 a.m. with several other employees. There was a lot to do.

Twenty-five years ago, Mervat Fayyad was working at a McDonald's at the corner of North Main and Route 74 in Belmont, North Carolina, outside of Charlotte. She was just out of high school. We met Mervat at McDonald's to talk about one morning in May of 2000, when she arrived to open the restaurant around 5 a.m. with several other employees. There was a lot to do.

Mervat told her boss that she would handle making the tea and coffee right behind the front counter.

Mervat told her boss that she would handle making the tea and coffee right behind the front counter.

The store was still closed. All the doors were locked.

The store was still closed. All the doors were locked.

Mervat got down on the floor. Her boss, who had been in the bathroom, came around the corner and saw the man with the gun behind the counter.

Mervat got down on the floor. Her boss, who had been in the bathroom, came around the corner and saw the man with the gun behind the counter.

Mervat says they were five employees in the restaurant that morning. They were all rounded up and brought back through the kitchen to the hallway outside her boss's office. The man with the gun took Mervat's keys from her. She had a small can of pepper spray attached to them.

Mervat says they were five employees in the restaurant that morning. They were all rounded up and brought back through the kitchen to the hallway outside her boss's office. The man with the gun took Mervat's keys from her. She had a small can of pepper spray attached to them.

The man told all the employees to lie face down on the floor.

The man told all the employees to lie face down on the floor.

And then the man told her boss to open the safe.

And then the man told her boss to open the safe.

Was he polite? I mean, what was it? Was he yelling?

Was he polite? I mean, what was it? Was he yelling?

Then he asked her boss, Elaine, to get the McDonald's jackets used by employees. What were you thinking when he said, I mean, when he said get the jackets?

Then he asked her boss, Elaine, to get the McDonald's jackets used by employees. What were you thinking when he said, I mean, when he said get the jackets?

Once they had their jackets on, the man walked them over to the walk-in cooler and shut the door.