PORT HUENEME : Store Sale May Have Triggered Slaying

A Port Hueneme man charged with killing the manager of the convenience store where he worked became agitated the day of the slaying after learning the store was for sale, according to testimony Thursday in his murder trial.

Prosecutors believe news of the impending sale of the B-Mart market on East Pleasant Valley Road in Port Hueneme might have triggered the Aug. 19 slaying of Mohinder Bassi, 42, of Canoga Park.

Adolfo Lopez Carrillo, who along with his brother had the concession contract for the meat counter at the B-Mart, has pleaded not guilty to Bassi’s murder.

Bassi was at work when he was stabbed seven times in the chest and abdomen. He staggered to a nearby bar before collapsing and died later in surgery, officials said.

Store owner Nirmal Sehmbey testified at the trial Thursday that Carrillo learned on Aug. 19 that the store was for sale. The defendant became angry and refused to start the store barbecue, said Sehmbey, who was Bassi’s cousin.

Sehmbey testified that he initially believed the store had been robbed at the time of the slaying, but later discovered that no money was missing.

Also testifying Thursday was a former market employee who said Carrillo went by the name Alfonso. Deputy Dist. Atty. Roger A. Inman said Bassi told three police officers on separate occasions that he was stabbed by “Alfonso.”