January 27, 2008
ROSWELL -- An Alpharetta woman died after being shot Saturday night in an armed robbery at the Azteca grocery store on Alpharetta Highway (Ga. 9).
During the robbery, the owner of the business, Lidia Alvarado, 39 was shot in the chest. She died at North Fulton Regional Hospital.
Lt. James McGee, a spokesman for the Roswell Police Department, said the fact Alvarado was shot while providing no resistance and before any money was taken gives police pause. In addition, reports indicate at least one of the men called her by name before the shooting.
"Why shoot her first? Was this a hit? This was a very brutal crime," McGee said. "She had her hands up and they got her right as they entered the store."
Alvarado was "popular in the Latino community" and had no known enemies, McGee said.
"Everybody seemed to know her," he said.
The amount of money taken is not yet known, McGee said. He did say that a "substantial amount" appeared to be taken.
Alvarado was the only person seriously injured in the crime. Two other employees and a customer were "roughed up" and bound.
The suspects took the shopper's wallet and cell phone.
According to surveillance video, the three men entered the store at 8:46 p.m. from the side of the building.
Roswell police responded to the call about six minutes later, one minute after receiving the call of armed robbery.
An employee had to let the first officer into the store.
Witnesses said two black males and one Hispanic male -- only one of whom was wearing a mask -- entered the store, holding the three female employees at gunpoint. The other two men wore large framed sunglasses to hide their faces. At least one of the men had a Colombian or Venezuelan accent, according to witnesses. All were armed.
Witnesses reported all three suspects left the scene by running behind the store. Attempts by authorities to locate a vehicle description for the suspects has yet been unsuccessful.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called to process the scene, and McGee said they are looking to match fingerprints or any physical evidence to earlier incidents.
Roswell police have also been reaching out to media outlets and community leaders in the Hispanic community of Roswell hoping someone might have leads in the case.
"Because of the culture barrier, they might go to them before they would go to us," he said.
Azteca grocery has been robbed twice before, according to Roswell police, once in 2003 and once in 2004. Both cases were cleared.
- www.northfulton.com
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