2 Men Arrested In Robbery, Murder Of San Bernardino Store Owner
SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA.com) — Two men have been arrested in the robbery and murder of a San Bernardino convenience store owner.
Desmond Keyontre Stevenson of San Bernardino, 25, and Robert Almond Green of Highland, 23, were arrested Sunday on suspicion of murdering 31-year-old Mitesh Patel as they robbed the Bossey Drive-In Dairy at 1611 N E Street in San Bernardino Friday night.
A relative who wished to remain anonymous said the victim's wife heard the gunshot and found her husband.
"She is in a state of shock. She still cannot believe it," said the relative."They wanted the money. He gave you the money. Why shoot a life?"
"He was a self-made man. He was a family man. He was really generous," the family member said Patel was planning a vacation with his 3-year-old daughter and wife.
"If you didn't have enough money to get food or milk for your kids, he would say, 'I got it' or 'next time' or 'don't worry about it,'" customer Crystal Ortiz said.
A detective remembered the suspect's getaway car from a previous case which helped catch the suspects. " It had some unique characteristics in terms of modifications that was made to it, specifically the rims," said San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan.
Investigators said minutes after Patel was murdered, Stevenson and Green drove a mile south and tried to rob Bliss Liquor at 695 W 9th Street. But once inside, they realized the cashier was protected by bulletproof glass. A store employee there said he hid behind the counter in fear.
The owner of a nearby gas station said he hired private security to protect his employees. "Everybody's scared. We were planning to leave. But I don't know where we can go," said store owner Hadi Chamadia.
Green was arrested in Highland. Stevenson was taken into custody at his apartment, where a shotgun, masks and clothes worn during the murder were recovered, police said.
Both are being held without bail on charges of murder, robbery and street terrorism.
