LAKEWOOD, Wash. — An owner of a Lakewood convenience store was fatally stabbed during a robbery attempt Monday night and police are hoping you can help identify their suspect.
The robbery happened just after 10 p.m. at the McChord Mart on Solberg Drive SW, according to Lt. Chris Lawler with Lakewood Police. During the robbery, the man stabbed a 59-year-old woman several times, leaving her unconscious and bleeding on the floor. The robber then ran off north on Bridgeport Way SW, Lawler said.
[aiovg_video id=3074]
Medics rushed to the scene and got the woman to Madigan Army Hospital, but she later died from her injuries. She’s since been identified as In Choe, the store’s owner, Lawler said.
Video surveillance shows the suspect is a man in his 20s or 30s wearing a black sweatshirt, blue jeans, white shoes and a dark hat under a hooded sweatshirt.
But detectives point out the suspect’s sweatshirt had a distinct “Disobey” brand logo on the back that someone may recognize.
It’s unclear if the robber had a getaway car or just ran off as he was last seen on the video running away.
The victim’s son was also working at the store, but he stepped out for approximately 30 minutes to get food, he told KOMO News.
“I left to go get dinner for the both of us, when I came back saw whole bunch of police cars, fire trucks everything,” said Elijah Choe. “So at that moment when I saw that in front of my store my heart just dropped in my gut. I knew something was off.”
He said he raced to Madigan.
“Two minutes after arriving at Madigan they pulled me aside into a small room and dropped the bad news to me,” he said.
Elijah says normally he stays and closes the store at 10:30 p.m. but his mom asked him to go get dinner so they could get home faster. He called to get her order minutes before the attack.
“You always hear on TV and movies when a character is going through something similar they think they are in a bad dream,” Elijah Choe said. “That’s literally how I felt — I need to wake up it couldn’t be happening in my family.”
He said his mother was beloved by the neighborhood.
“She’s the typical Asian lady that’s always cheerful, everybody that comes to our business they all love her,” he said. “They all call her Mama — mama-san. Everybody loves her.”
He said he had even prepared his mother for in case a robbery occurred.
“In our neighborhood, theft is a daily thing, we’ve grown quite accustomed to it,” he said. “I have talked to her in the past saying mom if anyone comes in demanding with a gun or knife, it’s not worth it just give it to them, don’t worry about the loss. Essentially I tried to drill this into her.”
Long-time customers stopped by the store throughout the day Tuesday to leave flowers, balloons, and candles near the entrance.
They say In Choe made them feel like family whenever they walked through the door.
“She was a great, great mom. Great business owner. Great friend. There’s no reason for that to happen to her,” said Tiffony Ponder.
“She’d always say ‘Hi.’ Smiley face. And very respectful,” added Ruth Reupena. “My heart is broken. It’s like hearing a family member passing away.”
Lakewood police say if you know who this suspect is, to please call 911 or their tipline, or tips can be submitted anonymously through Pierce County Crimestoppers.
“I pray to god that someone who does recognize him will step forward,” Elijah Cho said.
Ricky Head is Editor in Chief and Publisher of VietShowNow. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist. In addition to concert coverage, he is a Content Creator, Writer, Photographer, and Videographer based in Seattle, Washington, and he photographs hundreds of concerts, festivals, and events each year. He takes pride in providing rich, high-quality images at a rapid pace.
- Ricky Headhttps://www.vietshownow.com/author/head/
- Ricky Headhttps://www.vietshownow.com/author/head/
- Ricky Headhttps://www.vietshownow.com/author/head/
- Ricky Headhttps://www.vietshownow.com/author/head/
