By Clarence Williams
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 20, 2009
Rufina Hernandez gave two robbers the cash they demanded from her small liquor store. But that didn't keep one of the men from shooting her in the neck and face and killing her. On Thursday, D.C. police said a law enforcement task force had caught one of the men.
The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task force arrested Andres Lopez without incident near Fourth and Kennedy streets NW about 2 p.m. Lopez, 45, of no fixed address, was charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 7 slaying of Hernandez, 51, who owned La Casa De Morata, a corner store in the Brightwood Park area.
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) expressed disbelief that Hernandez could be shot for "doing what she was supposed to do" and not fighting the robbers.
"This is probably something that can never be explained," he said at a news conference in front of the store.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said police investigators heard nothing but kind words about Hernandez as they scoured the neighborhood for clues.
Lanier said Lopez had been arrested previously in the area near the store. She declined to say whether Lopez was the suspected shooter or whether the gun used in the slaying was found.
The search for a second suspect continues, and Lanier sought further help from neighborhood residents. She also warned other would-be shooters that police and residents would continue to work together to solve homicide cases.
"People are fed up. They're going to talk to us and tell us where you are," Lanier said.
D.C. Council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) said Hernandez was loved for being hardworking and helped keep her block clean. She vowed the neighborhood would follow the prosecution of Lopez. "We want the judge to hear the impact of violent crime on this community," Bowser said.
via Washington Post
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