HOUSTON – Flowers and gifts were left outside a Family Dollar store in southeast Houston Friday following the slaying of a beloved employee.
"She always was a good person," said a long time customer of the store who declined to give her name. "Don't know why they did that."
That customer was one of several who said the woman killed during Thursday night's robbery was always bright, cheerful and eager to help customers.
"I just loved her so much because she was nice to me," the woman said.
"Hard-working woman … just came up and took her life for nothing," said Omar Ruiz, who brought flowers to the store on Bellfort near Bullfinch.
Detectives said two masked gunmen barged into the store demanding money just before it closed Thursday night.
Investigators said a customer with a concealed handgun license was in the store at the time of the robbery and tried to leave but found the suspects had locked the doors. Investigators said that man, identified by police as Kevin Simon, confronted the pair, which led to a gunfight.
The clerk, who has not yet been identified, was killed in the crossfire. Detectives said they don't yet know if it was a bullet from one of the robbers that killed the clerk, or if the fatal shot came from the man who was trying to save her life.
Police said as the robbers left the store they stole the customer's rental car from the parking lot.
Local 2 tried to speak with Simon at his home, but he was not available.
All day Friday, customers continued leaving flowers and gifts at the front of the store.
"She was a very beautiful person. Who did that to her?" said a woman.
Investigators said the store was equipped with security cameras, but footage from those cameras has not been helpful in identifying the robbers. Detectives are looking into whether this robbery is connected to other dollar store robberies in Houston and Harris County.
Detectives are searching for the rental car stolen during the robbers' getaway. The vehicle was described as a four-door, 2012 Toyota Camry with Louisiana license plate No N23-8302.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.