6 (or so) dudes called in an order to Round Table for 3 pizzas, on a humbug to rob the pizza guy (one arrested said they weren't lookin for cash, just grub), and ended up shootin and killin him. The driver was a 19 year old immigrant, and was working at Round Table to support his family while he went to college. This shit sucks. How fuckin senseless can people be?
Here are the stories:
2 arrests in killing
By J.M. BROWN, Times-Herald staff writer
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man early Wednesday morning on suspicion of murdering and robbing a young pizza deliveryman Monday night. Arrest warrants have been issued for at least two other suspects.
Police declined to release the names of those arrested, saying they don't want to tip off those still at large.
All the suspects are Vallejo residents, and at least some live in the vicinity of the attack in the 400 block of Wilshire Avenue, police spokeswoman Lt. Lori Lee said. Some of those still wanted are about the same age as those arrested, Lee said.
News of the arrests offered little condolence to the family of Harvinder Kumar, the 19-year-old Bethel High School graduate who worked as a part-time manager for Round Table Pizza to help his father and ailing mother. The family moved to California from India 12 years ago.
"Even if they've made arrests, that doesn't bring their son back," cousin Sukhdev Saini said of Kumar's parents. "He's gone forever. They're totally in shock right now."
Also Wednesday, the owner and manager of the pizza parlor visited the site of the shooting. Calling Kumar a beloved employee who was like a son to them, the men wept where the young man was gunned down.
"Maybe his soul is wandering around here," owner Paul Nanner said. "It hurts. This little boy's blood. That that could happen we never thought about it."
Detectives are still trying to determine a motive for the killing, Lee said. The suspects allegedly robbed Kumar of the pizzas, but Lee said she could not say whether the cash he was carrying was also taken. Nanner said Kumar had only about $20 with him to make change.
It does not appear the suspects knew the victim or targeted him specifically, Lee said. "This young man was just doing a job," she said.
Lee declined to say which of the suspects police think placed a call to Round Table Pizza Monday night to set up the robbery or if it was one of the men arrested early Wednesday.
There is no immediate evidence that the killing was part of a gang initiation or a hate crime related to Kumar's Indian ethnicity, Lee said.
Police did not release the exact location of the arrests, but Lee said search warrants were served at private residences in Vallejo in connection with the case. The suspects all live in parts of south and southeast Vallejo, she said.
Kumar was shot at least three times about 9:30 p.m. after he arrived in front of the house on Wilshire Avenue, Lee said. He may have been shot more times, but three shots have been confirmed as being fatal.
Police have recovered a gun from the suspects, but Lee said it is unclear if it was the weapon used in the killing.
Nanner said a senior Round Table official told him Monday's killing was the first of its kind in the company's 50-year history. It was also the first delivery robbery for Round Table in Vallejo since Nannar bought both of the company's franchises here two years ago.
The community college student only made about $250 a week working part-time, but wanted to help his family, Nanner said.
"He was like a little brother," said manager Mohammad Khosravi, who, like Nanner, wiped tears from his eyes Wednesday at the scene of the shooting. "I liked him a lot. Nobody kills somebody for pizza. Why him?"
According to delivery records provided by Round Table, the suspects phoned in an order at 8:03 p.m. for three extra large pizzas with sausage and pepperoni to be delivered to the Wilshire Avenue home. The total came to $67.05 and the suspects said they would pay with cash.
The name the suspects gave was "Jiff," according to Round Table records. Lee said she had not heard of that name and does not know if it carries any significance in the case.
The phone number the suspects gave was not in Round Table's database of customer phone numbers, Nanner said. Because of prank calls and the fear of robbery, Nannar said, employees are supposed to call new customer numbers to verify the order.
It's not clear if Kumar called the number, Nanner said, but it turned out to be bogus. Nannar called the number after he was contacted by police and discovered it was disconnected.
Lee declined to say whether the number has been linked to the suspects or if a cell phone was used to call in the fake order.
Although Kumar was a manager and didn't usually handle deliveries, he volunteered to take the Wilshire Avenue order because it had been pending for a long time, Nanner said. "He did it for the customer service," he said.
"He said he would be back in 10 minutes," said Nanner, later showing a Times-Herald reporter Kumar's white Adidas shirt and black jacket that were still hanging in a back office.
On Wednesday, Nanner and other Round Table workers visited the site of the shooting and met with residents to learn more about what they saw.
The resident of the Wilshire Avenue address given by the suspects said Kumar did not come to her door prior to being shot. The woman, who declined to give her name, said she was asleep when shots rang out.
The neighbor across the street, Leonard Watson, heard screaming in the street, followed by a single shot. After a brief pause, several more shots were fired, he said.
He said he saw several people run away, but it was too dark to give police an accurate description of the suspects. He and other neighbors, including a nurse, ran up to the victim and saw his final breaths, he said.
"I was in shock," Watson said Wednesday.
"It was completely senseless," another neighbor, Marcus Roberts, said. "Whoever did it should be hung."
Round Table has planned a candlelight vigil for tonight at 7 in front to the store at 2633 Springs Road. The company is also setting up a memorial fund to benefit Kumar's parents, Nanner said.
He said he wanted the parents to know "there are people who love them."
Kumar's relatives said his funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, Fairmont Memorial Park, 1850 West Texas St., Fairfield.
Sandra Vegas of Vallejo, whose daughter worked with Kumar at the restaurant, said, "He was just the best, best person. This was so senseless, over some pizza. We will pray for the family, pray for the city and pray for this to stop."
Here are the stories:
2 arrests in killing
By J.M. BROWN, Times-Herald staff writer
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man early Wednesday morning on suspicion of murdering and robbing a young pizza deliveryman Monday night. Arrest warrants have been issued for at least two other suspects.
Police declined to release the names of those arrested, saying they don't want to tip off those still at large.
All the suspects are Vallejo residents, and at least some live in the vicinity of the attack in the 400 block of Wilshire Avenue, police spokeswoman Lt. Lori Lee said. Some of those still wanted are about the same age as those arrested, Lee said.
News of the arrests offered little condolence to the family of Harvinder Kumar, the 19-year-old Bethel High School graduate who worked as a part-time manager for Round Table Pizza to help his father and ailing mother. The family moved to California from India 12 years ago.
"Even if they've made arrests, that doesn't bring their son back," cousin Sukhdev Saini said of Kumar's parents. "He's gone forever. They're totally in shock right now."
Also Wednesday, the owner and manager of the pizza parlor visited the site of the shooting. Calling Kumar a beloved employee who was like a son to them, the men wept where the young man was gunned down.
"Maybe his soul is wandering around here," owner Paul Nanner said. "It hurts. This little boy's blood. That that could happen we never thought about it."
Detectives are still trying to determine a motive for the killing, Lee said. The suspects allegedly robbed Kumar of the pizzas, but Lee said she could not say whether the cash he was carrying was also taken. Nanner said Kumar had only about $20 with him to make change.
It does not appear the suspects knew the victim or targeted him specifically, Lee said. "This young man was just doing a job," she said.
Lee declined to say which of the suspects police think placed a call to Round Table Pizza Monday night to set up the robbery or if it was one of the men arrested early Wednesday.
There is no immediate evidence that the killing was part of a gang initiation or a hate crime related to Kumar's Indian ethnicity, Lee said.
Police did not release the exact location of the arrests, but Lee said search warrants were served at private residences in Vallejo in connection with the case. The suspects all live in parts of south and southeast Vallejo, she said.
Kumar was shot at least three times about 9:30 p.m. after he arrived in front of the house on Wilshire Avenue, Lee said. He may have been shot more times, but three shots have been confirmed as being fatal.
Police have recovered a gun from the suspects, but Lee said it is unclear if it was the weapon used in the killing.
Nanner said a senior Round Table official told him Monday's killing was the first of its kind in the company's 50-year history. It was also the first delivery robbery for Round Table in Vallejo since Nannar bought both of the company's franchises here two years ago.
The community college student only made about $250 a week working part-time, but wanted to help his family, Nanner said.
"He was like a little brother," said manager Mohammad Khosravi, who, like Nanner, wiped tears from his eyes Wednesday at the scene of the shooting. "I liked him a lot. Nobody kills somebody for pizza. Why him?"
According to delivery records provided by Round Table, the suspects phoned in an order at 8:03 p.m. for three extra large pizzas with sausage and pepperoni to be delivered to the Wilshire Avenue home. The total came to $67.05 and the suspects said they would pay with cash.
The name the suspects gave was "Jiff," according to Round Table records. Lee said she had not heard of that name and does not know if it carries any significance in the case.
The phone number the suspects gave was not in Round Table's database of customer phone numbers, Nanner said. Because of prank calls and the fear of robbery, Nannar said, employees are supposed to call new customer numbers to verify the order.
It's not clear if Kumar called the number, Nanner said, but it turned out to be bogus. Nannar called the number after he was contacted by police and discovered it was disconnected.
Lee declined to say whether the number has been linked to the suspects or if a cell phone was used to call in the fake order.
Although Kumar was a manager and didn't usually handle deliveries, he volunteered to take the Wilshire Avenue order because it had been pending for a long time, Nanner said. "He did it for the customer service," he said.
"He said he would be back in 10 minutes," said Nanner, later showing a Times-Herald reporter Kumar's white Adidas shirt and black jacket that were still hanging in a back office.
On Wednesday, Nanner and other Round Table workers visited the site of the shooting and met with residents to learn more about what they saw.
The resident of the Wilshire Avenue address given by the suspects said Kumar did not come to her door prior to being shot. The woman, who declined to give her name, said she was asleep when shots rang out.
The neighbor across the street, Leonard Watson, heard screaming in the street, followed by a single shot. After a brief pause, several more shots were fired, he said.
He said he saw several people run away, but it was too dark to give police an accurate description of the suspects. He and other neighbors, including a nurse, ran up to the victim and saw his final breaths, he said.
"I was in shock," Watson said Wednesday.
"It was completely senseless," another neighbor, Marcus Roberts, said. "Whoever did it should be hung."
Round Table has planned a candlelight vigil for tonight at 7 in front to the store at 2633 Springs Road. The company is also setting up a memorial fund to benefit Kumar's parents, Nanner said.
He said he wanted the parents to know "there are people who love them."
Kumar's relatives said his funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, Fairmont Memorial Park, 1850 West Texas St., Fairfield.
Sandra Vegas of Vallejo, whose daughter worked with Kumar at the restaurant, said, "He was just the best, best person. This was so senseless, over some pizza. We will pray for the family, pray for the city and pray for this to stop."
