This is a developing story; check back with sacbee.com for updates.
A business owner’s wife was shot and killed Friday amid a robbery in which at least six people broke into a south Sacramento jewelry store, smashing glass, and fled the scene within a minute, authorities and residents said.
The shooting broke out just before 11:45 a.m. at Kim Tin Jewelry on the 6800 block of Stockton Boulevard in the Little Vietnam Plaza, said Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi. The shopping center is just north of 65th Street.
Deputies have not determined who fatally shot the woman, Gandhi said, adding investigators continued to document evidence as of Friday evening. But the business owner fired toward the suspects, and it’s presumed the robbers fired back, he said. Gandhi didn’t know if the suspects had a handgun, suffered any wounds and how much, if anything, was taken during the incident.
The suspects remained at large as of Friday night.
“This obviously took some coordination,” Gandhi said.
The Little Saigon neighborhood features several family-owned businesses that are tightknit in the area known for its Vietnamese restaurants, grocery stores and other small businesses.
“We shouldn’t have to worry about not being able to come home to our family,” said Robin Ha, who owns a restaurant two doors away from the jeweler.
Ha recalled seeing the victim at Kim Tin, helping her husband, while she worked at the store. She boasted a happy personality and always greeted Ha with a smile and wave, she said.
“A very sweet lady,” Ha said of the woman in her 50s, who will be identified by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office after she died at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center.
Deputies closed off the shopping complex Friday afternoon, stretching into late night, as they canvassed the scene for evidence. They methodically raised the police tape to let patrons leave the scene, after asking if they saw anything.
Gandhi said the suspects fled in two different vehicles that appeared to be sedans. He implored residents to call deputies if they saw anything — even a short video filmed quickly could help investigators capture the suspects.
As the sun descended over the quiet parking lot, friends of the woman and her family arrived, seeking answers about what had happened. They walked away in tears as deputies broke the news that the woman had died.
Ha hugged her son tight. She cried for the woman’s family and what the victim’s husband witnessed. She
couldn’t imagine watching the death of a spouse.
“He’s going to have that memory in his head for the rest of his life,” Ha said.
Anyone with information about this incident can call the Sheriff’s Office at 916- 874-5115. Tipsters, who wish to remain anonymous, can also call the Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357 or the Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-8477. Callers may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
