BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (KRT) - Alan J. Shalleck, 76, a collaborator on the popular "Curious George" books and cartoons, was described as a quiet, friendly man who read books to children at local schools.
But the investigation of his stabbing death led to the arrest of two men he met through a gay sex network, police said Thursday.
Boynton Beach Police Maj. Wendy Unger said Shalleck knew his killers, having met them because they were all members of a group that Unger described as a "sex organization, dating type of a club."
Police found Vincent J. Puglisi, 54, of Oakland Park, Fla., through phone records, Unger said. Puglisi led police to Rex Spears Ditto, 29, of Pembroke Pines, Fla. Both men were arrested shortly before midnight Wednesday on charges of murder, home invasion and dealing in stolen property.
"After some diligent interrogation, both of these individuals admitted to their participation in the murder of Mr. Shalleck," Unger said.
The suspects took jewelry from Shalleck's home and stole money from his checking account, according to police.
Shalleck's body was found stabbed and covered under garbage bags near the driveway of his Boynton Beach home on Tuesday morning. Police said it had been there more than 24 hours.
Unger said police investigators found telephone numbers stored in Shalleck's cordless phone. The numbers led them to Puglisi, who was questioned by police.
Police said Puglisi admitted that he and Ditto drove to Shalleck's home Sunday night to rob him. Unger declined to say how the robbery led to killing.
"There are some parts of this investigation that I'm not at liberty to share with you at this time," she said. Investigators said they found several pools of blood leading to the master bedroom, where they found more blood. Several knives and broken glass were found inside the home.
Unger said Shalleck was probably expecting the men who killed him because there were no signs of forced entry.
Neighbors said they first saw the garbage bags Monday morning, but thought it was trash. Police responded to a call Tuesday from a maintenance man who was taking out bags of trash from residents' front lawns.
Neighbors described Shalleck, a Westchester County, N.Y., native, as a quiet man who kept to himself. He gained local recognition as Gramps, the name he used while reading books to schoolchildren.
But police said there was another side to Shalleck's life that involved being a member of a gay sex network in which men call each other for encounters, Unger said.
Several neighbors in the Royal Manor Estates, a senior citizen retirement community where he lived, said Shalleck had frequent male visitors.
"He had a male friend in a silver truck visiting almost every day," said Raymond Robinson, a neighbor across the street.
A landlord said Puglisi had violent mood swings.
"He was quiet, but when he got angry about something, he would get violent," said Derrick Allen, who rented a house in Oakland Park to Puglisi. "I honestly think he's that type of person that could just snap at any time."
Allen said he evicted Puglisi earlier this week over not paying rent, trashing the home and complaints from neighbors.
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In 1950, Shalleck got his start in the CBS mailroom and worked his way up to associate producer for "Winky Dink and You," a children's television show. He later produced children's films and formed his own company.
Shalleck, a divorcee and father of two, in the 1980s wrote and directed 104 five-minute episodes of "Curious George," which aired on the Disney Channel. The episodes were adapted into 28 books he collaborated on with Margret Rey, who created Curious George along with her husband, Hans Rey, more than 60 years ago.
A new "Curious George" movie opens in theaters today, but Shalleck had no part in it. He made a modest living supplementing his Social Security income with low-paying jobs, including his last at Borders Books & Music.
Unger said Shalleck's involvement with the Curious George character was not a factor in the killing. The suspects claim they were unaware of his celebrity, she said.
"It's my understanding from our investigators that these guys were acquaintances and weren't even familiar ... with the fact that he was associated with this movie at all," Unger said.
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