Merchants Rally After Slaying of Jeweler

A day after a downtown jewelry store owner was killed during a robbery attempt, a group of merchants held a demonstration Thursday and called for safer streets.

The victim, a 60-year-old man, was shot about 7 p.m. Wednesday in his shop at 734 Broadway, said Los Angeles Police Capt. Stuart Maislin.

He declined to identify the victim.

Police arrested four men who were seen entering the shop, Classic Jewelry and Gifts. Kevin Peebles, 32, Larry Richardson, 33, Darnell Mathews, 20, all of Los Angeles, and Arnel Johnson, 33, of Morena Valley were booked on suspicion of murder Thursday.

The crime was the fifth robbery incident in the two-block area in the last eight weeks, Maislin said. Police believe the suspects might be connected to the earlier robberies.

By Thursday afternoon, people had placed bouquets of flowers and lighted candles in front of the closed store. A few had taped up cardboard signs that said: “We need safety.”