Mother Walks In on Robbery, Is Shot Dead

A woman who stumbled upon a computer store robbery as she arrived to pick up her son was killed by a gunman who had handcuffed and gagged several employees, police said Saturday.

Moments later, the suspected gunman--a 19-year-old Los Angeles man--was arrested by a passing Fountain Valley police officer, but two accomplices to the robbery escaped, Police Lt. Bob Mosley said.

The robbery attempt was similar to one in July in Culver City, and Los Angeles gang detectives were called in to assist in the investigation.

Kathy Lee, 49, of Garden Grove apparently surprised the gunman when she drove up to the Comp USA store, off the San Diego Freeway at Warner Avenue, about 10:30 p.m., just after closing.

Mosley said the gunman was apparently opening the side entrance of the store to let in two accomplices who had been waiting in the parking lot, off Bushard Street.

Lee had gone to the store to pick up her 18-year-old son, an employee, and parked her 1986 Volvo in the same lot. When the gunman saw her walking toward the building, he shot her once in the head, and she slumped to the pavement.

“The gunman saw Mrs. Lee and just shot her,” Mosley said. “It was terrible.”

Officer Ray Rakitis, who was patrolling the area with his police dog in his car, heard the shot and radioed for backup aid. He then sped into the parking lot, where he found Nokkuwa (Pretty Boy) Ervin, 19, of Los Angeles, about to step into a silver BMW.

When the driver of the car saw the officer, he sped away, leaving Ervin behind. Rakitis stopped the suspect with his dog and arrested him. Police also said they confiscated a .38-caliber handgun. The suspect is being held in Orange County Jail on suspicion of robbery and murder.

According to an employee, the robbery attempt began when Ervin hid in a box inside the store, at 9380 Warner Ave., as it was closing at 10 p.m. After a few minutes, the gunman popped out and surprised employees.

He held a gun to the heads of several employees, the workers said, including Lee’s son, who said in a brief interview Saturday that the gunman “came out of nowhere.”

The gunman then handcuffed and gagged about seven workers, but another employee crawled quietly to a storeroom, where he telephoned police.

By that time, however, officers were already responding to Rakitis’ call for backup.

On July 23, two gunmen staged a similar robbery at the computer chain’s Culver City store. Two robbers calmly entered the store at closing time and brandished handguns, Culver City Police Sgt. Manuel Ariza said. The robbers then tied up two employees, locked them in a storeroom and took more than 200 computer items worth about $400,000. The employees contacted police two hours later when they managed to slip free of their bindings.

Investigators declined to say whether the Fountain Valley robbery appears to be related to gangs, but officers confirmed that detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department gang unit are helping to identify the two accomplices.

Police have not determined whether the robbers got away with any goods.

Lee, who worked as a Hughes Aircraft executive secretary in El Segundo and was an accomplished painter of oil still lifes, was transported to nearby Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, where she later died.

On Saturday, Peter Lee, her husband and a machinist at Hughes, said his wife routinely picked up their son at the store. The son usually traveled to the store by bicycle during the day and relied on his parents for a ride home at night.

“We thought it was dangerous for him to travel by bike at night,” Lee said.

He knew something was wrong when he returned to his Garden Grove home late Friday to find that his wife and son were absent, Lee said. “The television was on, and the lights were on,” he said. “I assumed she had gone to pick up (his son). But then it got later and later.”

Lee said he looked for a note around the house and found none. “She always left a note if she thought she was going to be late,” he said. “She knows I’m the worrying type.”

Lee finally decided shortly after midnight to go to the store. There, he found police officers surrounding the area. When he pulled up, an officer broke the news to him.

Lee described his wife as “vibrant, fun woman” who loved art as well as trout fishing.

Married for 27 years, the couple had just begun fishing as a family hobby. They frequently took trips together.

In fact, they had planned a trip this weekend to the mountains but decided that the weather was not good for fishing.

Lee said his son is holding up well. “There’s only so much crying you can do,” he said. “You run out of tears. I can’t believe she’s gone. I miss her already so much.”

Lee’s other son, who is 20, is scheduled to return from Tennessee, where he attends college. And other relatives are flying in from Massachusetts, Lee said.

Laura Luft, a family friend who worked with Kathy Lee, mourned her death: “Kathy was an artist on canvas as well as an artist in life. She loved everything. She wanted to paint everything. She was such a beautiful woman.”

Although the computer store was open and bustling with customers Saturday, there was a somber air within the warehouse. Many employees had reddened eyes.

“It’s just not fair,” said one worker, who did not want to be identified. “Nobody is going to be happy here for a long time.”

Comp USA Regional Manager K. Ahmed Shaikh said several workers who had been present during the robbery bid tried to return to work Saturday, but Shaikh said he sent them home.

“Everybody’s been trying to comfort each other, but it’s been hard,” Shaikh said.

Times staff writers Lily Dizon and Bob Elston contributed to this report, along with correspondent Tom McQueeney.

Computer Store Slaying

Kathy Lee was shot and killed when she stumbled upon a robbery at a store where her son works, a few miles from their home.