2 charged in connection to death of Lakewood convenience store owner
Prosecutors have charged two men in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Lakewood convenience store owner last month.
In Cha Choe, 59, was attacked while she was working at her McChord Mart convenience store about 10 p.m. Oct. 14.
Marcus Louise Williams, 24, and 20-year-old Bonifacio Alvarez Reynolds were charged with murder Friday.
Both were charged with first-degree murder, and Williams also was charged with second-degree murder, according to court records.
Warrants were issued for their arrest. Alvarez Reynolds turned himself in Tuesday, and investigators said they were still looking for Williams.
“Because of the pressure generated by all of the media coverage, Alvarez Reynolds turned himself in at his residence in Tacoma,” Lakewood police said in a statement late Tuesday afternoon. “We also have the vehicle used in the crime.”
Earlier Tuesday the police department said investigators believed the men might be traveling together in a light blue 1990 Toyota Camry four-door sedan, Washington state license plate BQC7358. There’s plastic covering the back window and a black rear bumper, the agency said.
Police asked anyone who saw the vehicle to call 911 and to not approach the car or the people inside.
Police said they hoped to arrest Williams at an appointment with his probation officer Tuesday morning and to arrest Reynolds after. Williams did not attend the appointment.
Charging papers give this account of what happened:
Surveillance video showed a man walking the aisles of the store at 5105 Solberg Dr. SW, taking a bottle of barbecue sauce and approaching the register.
The man walked behind the counter, pushed Choe away and reached for the register.
Choe tried to pull his hands away. He then stabbed her in the abdomen, chest and arm and left with the money.
Choe followed with a collapsible baton.
They struggled at the door, he shoved her to the ground, and she followed him outside.
“The suspect runs toward Bridgeport Way, Ms. Choe reenters the store, closes the register, leaves the store and locks the door, is seen walking down the ramp with an unsteady gait, then enters her car and briefly leaves the parking lot before pulling back in and stopping the car in front of the store,” the declaration for determination of probable cause says. “Ms. Choe does not exit the vehicle.”
She was found unconscious and was pronounced dead at Madigan Army Medical Center soon after.
Police asked the public for help to identify the suspect.
Tips led to Williams, and DNA allegedly linked him to the bottle of barbecue sauce.
Investigators got information that Reynolds drove Williams to the store and waited down the street. He allegedly didn’t know Williams was going to stab the owner.
People left flowers, balloons and notes outside the store following Choe’s death.
Regular customers knew her as “Mama,” and many said she cooked for them, gave hugs and smiles, and helped those in need, The News Tribune reported.
Court records show that Williams has a 2015 conviction for robbing a Tacoma convenience store using a BB gun and a 2018 conviction for burglarizing a Lakewood coffee stand.
This story was originally published November 12, 2019 at 11:41 AM.
