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May 22, 2008 3:56 pm US/Eastern
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Arrest Made In Murder Of S.I. Liquor Store Owner
STATEN ISLAND (CBS) ―
Police on Staten Island are have arrested suspect accused of fatally shooting the owner of a liquor store during an alleged robbery on Wednesday night.
John Lanorith, 40, of Staten Island, was arrested Thursday and charged with the murder of 67-year-old Elgudzha Koyenishvila.
Investigators say the shooting occurred around 8:15 p.m. Wednesday when a hooded suspect entered Discount Wine & Liquors on Lincoln Road in Grant City with the intent of robbing the place.
According to Koyenishvila's son, it wasn't the first time his liquor store was the target of a thief, saying, "he's been mugged before." Friends and neighbors described Koyenishvila as a man of "great work ethic and devotion to his family."
With pictures of his children and grandchildren taped to the cash register at his business for the last decade, the immigrant from the Georgia Republic always worked alone late at night.
"He never bothered anyone. He waved to everyone on Lincoln Avenue. Always in there by himself. It used to scare me," said customer Sandy Balen.
One Grant City resident eloquently expressed his concern to CBS 2:
"I don't know who would do something like that. It's a shame the world has come to this. Robbing liquor stores and shooting 67-year-old men. My heart goes out to his family," said Andy Vargas.
Police say the Lanorith opened fire on the senior citizen, striking him twice in the chest, killing him immediately. The assailant ran off with the entire cash register, jumping into a light blue pickup truck to make his getaway.
Lanorith was charged with first-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 for the latest in this developing story.
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