16-Year-Old Held in Slaying of Hollywood Store Clerk

A 16-year-old gang member has been taken into custody in connection with the slaying of a Hollywood store clerk who was shot after he complied with a robber’s demand for cash, Los Angeles police said Monday.

The suspect, whose name was not released because of his age, was being held in connection with the slaying of Charles Kiefer. He and another clerk were working at Al’s Liquor at 5550 Melrose Ave. on the night of June 15 when a robber entered and put a candy bar and a $10 bill on the counter. After the clerk rang up the sale and made change, the robber pulled out a revolver and demanded cash.

The clerk emptied the register and the suspect demanded more, said Los Angeles Police Det. John Miller. Kiefer approached from the side with cash from lottery sales. The man took the money and shot Kiefer.

Kiefer, 68, was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital.

“He’s the best man I ever knew,” said Raed Safi, a clerk at the store. “If someone showed up without money, he would always buy what they wanted.”

Officers believe that the suspect robbed two people as they came out of a restaurant near the liquor store June 5.

Two witnesses who saw the liquor store robbery gave a description of the suspect to a composite artist, Miller said. Last week, while canvassing the neighborhood near the store, officers interviewed a woman who “had heard through the grapevine and on the street that a guy named Tony had been robbing people on Melrose,” Miller said.

That night, members of LAPD’s CRASH gang unit observed a suspect who fit the composite. They took him to the Hollywood station and determined that he had given a false name and date of birth, Miller said. Officers obtained a search warrant and on Sunday recovered evidence from the suspect’s house, Miller said.

The suspect had been recently released from Juvenile Hall after serving time for robbery, said Miller. He also had an outstanding warrant for grand theft, the detective said.

Three of the four robbery witnesses identified the suspect from photos, Miller said.

The Police Department has filed a juvenile petition charging him with murder and two counts of armed robbery.