2 Held After Gunman Is Slain in Front of Convenience Store

By PEGGY Y. LEE

Sept. 13, 1991 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

A gunman who grabbed a woman hostage and apparently planned to use her as a shield during a fight with two other armed men was shot to death Wednesday night outside a San Diego convenience store by his two assailants, police said.

Porfirio Chavez, 27, was killed about 8:30 p.m. outside the Qwik Korner store at 3850 University Ave., San Diego Police Lt. Dan Berglund said.

Police arrested one suspect 10 minutes later about two blocks away and another suspect early Thursday, Berglund said.

The fight began at Chavez’s house on the 3800 block of 40th Street, Berglund said. Chavez, the two assailants and a third man, Candelario Duran, reportedly had been drinking, Berglund said.

Chavez allegedly shot Duran in the arm during an argument, Berglund said. Carrying his 9-month-old baby girl, Chavez ran from his house with the two other men chasing him, Berglund said.

Witnesses told police that Chavez left the baby in the arms of a friend he saw near the convenience store, then ran up to a woman who was using the pay phone outside the store, Berglund said.

Chavez dragged the woman inside the store and was immediately followed by two other gunmen, Berglund said. The woman did not know any of the men involved in the fight and was an innocent bystander, Berglund said.

“We think he may have planned to use her as a shield, but he never got a chance,” Berglund said.

She was soon released, and the two gunmen chased Chavez around the store. Chavez raced outside and was tripped by one gunman, who shot him in the leg. The other gunman then came up to Chavez and shot him in the face, Berglund said. One of the gunmen reportedly took Chavez’s gun before the pair fled, Berglund said.

Duran, who was shot in the arm by Chavez, first told police Wednesday night that he was the victim of a robbery, Berglund said. He is in stable condition at UC San Diego Medical Center.

Adrian Gonzalez Bueno, a 20-year-old transient, was arrested in connection with Chavez’s slaying and will be arraigned Monday.