RICHMOND, Va. -- Two people have been arrested after a Richmond restaurant worker was shot and killed Wednesday morning, according to Richmond Police.
Police said the deadly crime happened at Lindo Latino Market on Broad Rock Boulevard in South Richmond at about 10:20 a.m.
"The call was for an item stolen and someone hurt. And then on the way officers the call was clarified to be a robbery and a shooting," Richmond Police spokesperson James Mercante said. "Officers arrived and found an adult male, a staff member of the restaurant, down and unresponsive from a gunshot wound. He was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene."
The slain employee intervened during a robbery attempt and there was an altercation with the suspects that ended in the shooting, according to sources.
Twenty-five-year-old Yonathan Zelaya Beltran, of Richmond, and 18-year-old Ronaldy Monterroso, of North Chesterfield, were charged with robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of the felony, Mercante wrote in an email just before 6 p.m.
"Detectives have charged [Beltran and Monterroso] for robbery for an incident on Broad Rock Boulevard today and detectives are working to determine charges for the same two suspects for the robbery and homicide that occurred a few minutes later on Broad Rock Boulevard," Mercante said.
Richmond Police have not yet released the victim's name.
J.L. Francis Elementary School, which is less than a mile from Lindo Latino Market, was placed on lockdown in the aftermath of the shooting.
The lockdown has since been lifted.
“Detectives obviously want all the information to be able to catch these people make sure it doesn’t happen again," Mercante said. "All the information from the public is beneficial to these detectives.”
If you have information that could help detectives, call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or submit a tip online at https://rvacrimestoppers.org. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used. All three Crime Stoppers methods of contact are anonymous.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
