2 arrested in murder of liquor store owner

Police arrested two men Thursday they believe are responsible for a recent wave of convenience store attacks that left one shop clerk dead and three injured.

Edward Deandre Mitchell, 19, of Modesto and Laron Tavon Davis, 22, of Ceres were booked at the county jailhouse in downtown Modesto about 4:30 p.m. on murder charges, officials said.

At the same time, less than 10 miles away in a Hughson cemetery, hundreds of people gathered to pay their final respects to Balbir Boyal, 49, the man Mitchell and Davis are suspected of killing.

Boyal was the owner of BK's Liquor, Food & Gas at 150 N. Riverside Drive. Investigators say they believe Mitchell walked into the store about 11:35 p.m. on June 7 and shot Boyal several times. Police say they suspect Davis was the getaway driver.

Boyal's relatives learned of the arrests Thursday evening as they returned to their east Modesto home from the funeral at Lakewood Memorial Park.

Sukhpinder Boyal, the victim's widow, said she was relieved, but that she still is reeling from the loss of her husband.

"It hurts so bad," she said. "I still can't believe it. This is not going to bring my husband back. He is gone. He was a nice person; he did not deserve this.

"But there is relief these evil people are behind bars," she continued. "Those people are so cruel. ... I wish I could see those killers and ask why they did that."

Investigators say they believe Mitchell and Davis were responsible for some, if not all, of a series of convenience store robberies and shootings that began in late April.

In two of the holdups, the robber shot the clerks even after they handed over money, police said. In another incident, a gunman tried to shoot the clerk, but his gun malfunctioned.

Mitchell and Davis were booked Thursday only on murder charges. But Capt. Gene Balentine said the investigation is ongoing, and the men likely will be charged in other robberies and shootings.

He added that others may have been involved in the shootings, and more arrests could follow.

"We believe the robberies are linked (to the Boyal murder)," Balentine said. "(But) at this time, we are still waiting for some additional evidence and forensic analysis."

Police did not release the suspects' pictures Thursday.

"We have additional people we need to talk to, and we don't want to jeopardize the investigation" by releasing the photos, Balentine said.

WORKING TWO DAYS STRAIGHT

The arrests came after an exhaustive eight-week investigation, Balentine said. Nine investigators from the robbery-homicide unit worked the case nonstop, and several detectives from other units assisted, he said. After the arrests, Balentine said, he had to order several detectives who had not slept in two days to go home.

Police received recent tips from "different sources" leading them to Mitchell and Davis, Balentine said.

Investigators obtained a search warrant Wednesday night and searched four homes in the Modesto area, officials said.

Police recovered several guns, officer Mike Amarillas said. They have been sent to the Department of Justice for forensic analysis.

Police found Mitchell about 10 p.m. inside a residence on the 1600 block of Sylvan Avenue. The home is less than two miles from two of the recent robberies -- a Stop N Save market on Oakdale Road and another Stop N Save on Coffee Road. Officials did not say whether Mitchell lived in the home.

Investigators detained Davis in Ceres, also about 10 p.m., Balentine said. He was found near Nadine Avenue and Herndon Road -- one block from a shop that was robbed at gunpoint the night before.

Davis was walking down the street near one of the four homes police searched Wednesday, Balentine said. When he saw the heavy police presence at the home, he "started walking away," Balentine said. Police stopped him around the corner.

Agencies taking part in the investigation included: Modesto police, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, the district attorney's office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, state parole, county probation, the Department of Justice and the Gang Intelligence Task Force.

Investigators interrogated Mitchell and Davis all day Thursday before arresting them, Amarillas said.

"As we've been saying all along, it's a shame we've even had to do this investigation," Balentine said. "It's nice to know we were able to identify these guys and get them off the streets. I think some clerks might be able to rest a little bit easier tonight."

Boyal's relatives said they, too, will rest easier, even as they grieve.

"They should not be on the streets," Sukhpinder Boyal said. "If they can do this to my husband, they can do it to anyone."

Sukhwinder Deol, the victim's sister, thanked the police and the public for supporting the family through their difficult time.

About 350 people attended the funeral Thursday, family members said, including friends, family and scores of customers.

"A lot of people loved him," Sukhpinder Boyal said. "He always called his customers his family. They miss Boss Man."

She added: "I still can't believe it. We are still in great shock."

This story was originally published June 16, 2006 at 9:09 PM with the headline "2 arrested in murder of liquor store owner."