RESEDA : $25,000 Offered for Leads in Slaying

The Los Angeles City Council this week authorized a $25,000 reward for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the suspects responsible for killing Lea Graf, co-owner of a Army-Navy surplus store in Reseda, last November.

Graf, 61, was killed when she and her husband were overtaken by two gunmen as they were closing their Reseda Boulevard store for the night.

Police have made no arrests and still have no suspects. They asked Councilwoman Laura Chick to petition the council for reward money last month.

“We’re hoping that the reward announcement will generate some leads,” said Los Angeles Police Lt. George Rock.

The couple, married 34 years, moved to Los Angeles from Israel in 1960. After dabbling in other business ventures, they set up the surplus store that became an institution.

Bernard Graf, Lea’s husband, was injured in the attack, but managed to shoot back at the gunmen seven times before they fled.

“I don’t know how effective it (a reward) has been in the past, but I hope we’ll have some response from somebody,” Graf said. “We’re hoping maybe this time something will come up.”