I transcribed today’s Instagram stories of Nina Celie Angelo (IG: Ninacelie) about her Aug 27, 1 pm recollections. She has obviously been interviewed by media - in a previous post from Fox News - but I think her stream of conscious story is probably the most interesting firsthand account after they had just told the authorities.
Note: It is relevant that Nina Angelo and Matthew England state they were sitting next to Brian Laundries and Gabby Petito by the front door and right next to the hostess stand. The argument was at the hostess stand/front door and Gabby was crying just outside. This may be why other staff or patrons did not see the argument. As someone noted, she's again apologizing for him and trying to placate the situation. Important to note too, she is seen as crying alone while he is the aggressor.
I’ve bolded parts I think are the most relevant to the deteriorating mental state of Brian and Gabby. Especially concerning is his towards his verbal aggression towards the female staff, the hostess and the restaurant manager.
Transcription
“We were at this restaurant, you guys, Friday, August 27th 1 pm sitting right next to them. They got kicked out of the restaurant. And were fighting with the hostess. They were fighting with the hostess. She [Petito] was hysterically crying. And she walked out and she was crying and she was staying on the sidewalk and I was watching the whole thing unfold.
And he walked back in the restaurant and he’s fighting with the hostess. And I didn’t even know what happened, I don’t even know if they got kicked out but they left abruptly. And she was standing on the sidewalk crying and he walked back in and was like screaming at the hostess and then walked back out. And then, he walked back in like four more times to talk to the manager and to like, tell the hostess off.
[Nina Celie Angelo talks further on trying to be calmer and recollect in more detail. Discusses how they went to a wedding after seeing this restaurant incident and that may be why they did not recollect this argument as that of the missing couple.]
…They were sitting right next to us, like right f*ing next to us and we were both sitting right by the hostess stand, right by the front door. I went to the bathroom, I came back and they were like abruptly leaving like something happened. My first thought is that they were displeased with the service and they were walking out or they were trying to get out of paying their bill. But it was kind of like a scene.
And I was like zoned in for some reason, and Matt was on his phone and I was like babe, put your phone down like something was going on. Guys, it was like f*ing scene, like something that doesn’t happen every day at a restaurant. The way he was acting, she was crying, she was upset. This had to have been right before she died.
So, she walks out, she’s upset, she’s crying. And he’s like, more angry. Like you could tell it’s more sadness for her and she’s crying for some reason. I don’t know if she was embarrassed, or what. Because I don’t know I couldn’t hear. I don’t know what was going on. I could just see what was unfolding.
And so she’s standing on the sidewalk, I could just see her through the front door and she’s standing on the sidewalk crying. And he walks out with he, but then like right away turns around and walks back in and he’s, you know, kind of like violently talking to the hostess.
And you know you could tell he’s angry and um, and they’re just like doing the like ‘sorry we don’t know what to tell you, kind of thing.’ You could tell he was relentless, he wouldn’t drop it, whatever it was, he wouldn’t drop it.
He walked out, he walked back into the restaurant probably four more times.”
