Market Guard Who ‘Kept the Peace’ Is Shot Down in Watts

They called him “Pops.”

“He was there to help you if he could,” a customer named Derrick said Wednesday of Robert Smith, the 58-year-old security guard who worked at the Central Ranch Market at 104th Street and Central Avenue in Watts.

“If you were short of cash, he’d lend you a little,” Derrick said. “If there was trouble, he’d smooth things out.

“All he did was keep the peace around here. And that’s not an easy task.”

That peace ended Tuesday night, when two young men--nobody knows yet who they were--gunned Robert Smith down as he walked down the street about a block from the store.

Nobody is yet sure why Smith was slain.

Los Angeles police detectives said the security guard was not robbed and, thus far, they have not been able to establish a motive for the attack.

“I can’t understand why anyone would do it,” said Derrick, 27, who, like many in the street-tough Watts neighborhood, preferred not to give his full name.

“Pops gave people respect,” Derrick said. “And people respected him in return.” Edward Hines, president of the small security firm for which Smith worked, described his slain colleague as a “real professional” who had worked as a guard for about 20 years, the last four or five months at the Central Ranch Market.

Hines said Smith was especially good at keeping trouble from escalating, at calming disputes before they could erupt into violence.

“And he was very responsible,” said the market manager, who asked that his name not be used. “He was always here on time, and he did his job well. People trusted him.”

“He was always friendly,” Derrick said. “He’d do those little things for people, like buying ice cream and candy for the children.”

Hines said Smith, who lived alone in an apartment in the Adams District, apparently locked up as usual after the store closed at about 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Armed With a Pistol

Then, as was his custom, still wearing his uniform and armed with a holstered pistol, he probably walked up the street a block to have dinner at a local fast-food restaurant, Hines said.

Police said that about 6:45 p.m., witnesses heard shots and saw Smith--his .38-caliber revolver still in its holster--sprawled on the sidewalk across the street, in front of a Bank of America office at 10340 S. Central Ave.

The witnesses said they saw two young men running from the scene.

Despite what police said, Hines was sure the murder was part of a bungled holdup attempt.

“You know, he loaned out quite a bit of money,” the security firm chief said. “Lately, he had been flashing quite a roll of cash. Somebody might have seen that.”

But Hines said he doubted the killers were anyone who knew Smith. He said a lot of the people who hang around 104th and Central--customers, street people and even gang members--stopped by on Wednesday to express concern about what had happened.

“They all knew him and they all cared about him,” Hines said. “They’re really sorry he’s dead.”